Postman pleads guilty to stealing mailed donations

A former U.S. Postal Service carrier has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly 29,500 donation envelopes filled with more than $275,000 for a charity on his route.

Federal prosecutors said Thursday that 41-year-old Frederick Taylor of Chicago was assigned to the Berwyn post office. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of possessing stolen mail. He will be sentenced Nov. 19 and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors say Taylor stole the money between August 2010 and August 2011 either opening the mail in his postal vehicle or opening it at home. Taylor was found with several pieces of first class mail containing about $100 on Aug. 11, 2011. Investigators went to his home the same day and found the other thousands of donation envelopes.