Jackson Man Convicted of Mail Theft

(Cape Girardeau, MO) A former U. S. Postal Service letter carrier from Jackson, 33 year old Robert Gafford, is convicted of charges of one count of delaying or destroying mail and one count of embezzlement of mail. Court documents show Gafford worked out of the Cape Girardeau Post Office annex at the time and was responsible for delivering mail on a rural route in or near Scott City. In late 2021, the postmaster received complaints from a couple on Gafford’s delivery route that they were not receiving their mail, including bills and some packages. According to evidence and testimony presented at trial some of the couple's undelivered mail was eventually tracked to Gafford's personal vehicle and was discovered in its glovebox. Gafford is scheduled to be sentenced May 21. Each charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.