Alton postal worker throws out hundreds of pieces of mail

ALTON, Ill. (AP) - A former Alton postal worker is under investigation for allegedly throwing out hundreds of pieces of mail.

U.S. Postal Service inspector Jeff Arney tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (bit.ly/1Tb93eG ) that an Alton man found some discarded letters in a field near his home in late January. Another postal carrier found more mail tossed in a ditch.

The female carrier, who has since resigned, also said she threw out more letters in a trash can. Those items were not recovered.

Arney says that postal investigators expect to seek federal or state criminal charges against the woman, who was filling in on a co-worker's route.

The roughly 200 discarded letters will be delivered to their proper addresses. None have been opened.

___

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com