Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Money from U.S. Postal Service Truck

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former U.S. Postal Service employee Edison Small, 42, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 24, 2022, Small climbed inside a trailer that a USPS truck was towing in Vallejo while the truck was stopped at a red light. The trailer is used to transport money and mail. Once inside, Small grabbed a bag and hid it under his shirt. When the truck drove down the street, Small hopped out of the trailer. The bag contained $17,460 in cash, $1,300 in money orders, and $504 in checks. During a search of Small’s apartment, $15,240 was found.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.

Small is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Sept. 7, 2023. Small faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.