Jackson man sentenced to prison for theft and mail delay

A former U.S. Postal Service letter carrier from Jackson, Missouri, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for stealing and failing to deliver customer mail. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp announced the verdict Tuesday and fined defendant Robert Gafford, 34, $5,000.

Gafford was convicted in February by a jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau of one count of delaying or destroying mail and one count of embezzling mail. He worked in the Cape Girardeau post office annex and was responsible for delivering mail on a rural route in or near Scott City, Missouri.

The case against Gafford began in late 2021 when a couple complained that they were not receiving mail and packages on their route. The couple had Informed Delivery, a Postal Service program that provides images of scheduled mail deliveries. They sent postal workers pictures of missing mail that was supposed to be delivered but was either found at the post office or never found. When supervisors confronted Gafford, he stated that he did not like the location of the victims' mailbox and was subsequently given a written warning.

Frustrated by ongoing delivery issues, the couple mailed themselves an Apple AirTag tracking device, which was traced to Gafford's home after the non-delivery. A special agent with the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General then mailed a test piece with a tracking device. Investigators observed Gafford placing the test piece in his personal vehicle before leaving the post office in his mail truck. The test piece was later found in Gafford's SUV, along with other undelivered shipments.

Gafford's refusal to deliver the victims' mail and the subsequent theft continued for several months, despite repeated efforts by postal workers to get him to perform his duties. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn, who wrote the sentencing memo, the victims were subjected to constant stress due to the loss of important mail, including packages from Amazon and a Missouri Department of Revenue operating license.

Even after his conviction, Gafford continued to steal mail. In early 2024, the postmaster received new complaints from residents of Dalhousie Drive in Cape Girardeau. For surveillance purposes, an AirTag was placed in a package that was traced to Gafford's home after it disappeared on April 23, 2024. A search of Gafford's residence on May 2, 2024, found the package and two arrow keys used to open mailboxes and other U.S. Postal Service locks.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hahn and Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.

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