Former Postal Employee Sent to Prison for Soliciting Bribes During Election

McALLEN, Texas – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carrier has been ordered to federal prison for receiving bribe money in exchange for providing addresses of postal ballot recipients, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.

Noe Olvera, a 44-year-old resident of Mission, pleaded guilty March 7, 2017, admitting he accepted $1,000 for providing the addresses in relation to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s race in 2014.

Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Olvera an 18-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted the problems with corruption in this community and stated that it was so prevalent that some people had equated the area with a third world country. The court stated that she intended this sentence to help deter others from committing acts of corruption in the local community in the future, knowing that imprisonment was a likely outcome for them as well.

It is a violation of law and official duty for Postal Service employee to provide a list of postal patrons names and/or addresses to another person.

On or about Oct. 15, 2014, Olvera provided a list of names and addresses of postal patrons on his route in Mission who received ballots during the Democratic primary. He accepted the $1,000 payment while on duty in his official vehicle and in his postal carrier uniform.

Olvera was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The USPS-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Lindenmuth and Roberto “Bobby” Lopez are prosecuting the case.