East St. Louis mail supervisor sentenced in package theft case

EAST ST. LOUIS – A former postal supervisor received probation today in federal court for a case in which she admitted stealing packages from the mail.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Stephen R. Wigginton said Jane Johanna Emily, a/k/a Jane Moeller, 42, of St. Louis, was sentenced on a three-count indictment.

The U.S. District Court in East Saint Louis sentenced Emily to serve five years’ probation with the first six months to be served in home detention. She was also ordered to pay a $300 fine and pay a special assessment of $300.

At her plea, Emily, who worked as a customer service supervisor at the United States Post Office in East Saint Louis, admitted that she had opened and stolen mail packages that she believed were carrying controlled substances (drugs). The investigation that resulted in the charges was brought about after a customer contacted the post office in March 2013 regarding a missing parcel that had been seen by other postal employees in her office at the East St. Louis Post Office.

In April 2013, an undercover investigation was conducted by special agents of the Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Agents sent a package that was suspicious in that it might contain drugs to the East St. Louis Post Office. During the undercover operation, Emily, who did not deliver packages, removed the package and left the post office. Agents ultimately stopped Emily and discovered that she still had the undercover package and the undercover package had been opened.

At one point during the investigation Emily indicated she was actually working for the postal inspectors to uncover suspicious packages. Agents, who were conducting the undercover investigation, knew that information to be false.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan.