HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut postal employee pleaded guilty in front of a federal judge Monday to stealing cash and gift cards from letters in 2020.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced Monday that Nathaniel Bonilla, 32, of Bristol, admitted to stealing the monetary contents in letters while working as a mail processing clerk at a Hartford USPS process and distribution center.
Court documents said between April and October of 2020, Bonilla opened mail envelopes with a razor blade to remove cash and dozens of gift cards or prepaid debit cards for his own use.
One example found in the case was when a New York woman mailed a letter with a $500 Home Depot gift card in it for a family member in Torrington in September 2020. The Torrington resident received the letter, but it had been opened and the gift card had been removed. Afterward, in-store surveillance footage caught Bonilla using the gift card at Home Depot.
Investigators confronted Bonilla in October 2020, as he was opening a letter with a razor blade. They found 44 gift cards in a personal bag and 37 opened envelopes at his workstation that day.
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Bonilla was arrested in November 2020.
His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2022, at which time Bonilla will face a maximum of five years in prison.
Individuals who believe they are a victim of mail theft are encouraged to file a complaint by calling 888-USPS-OIG, or by visiting uspsoig.gov.
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