Former Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Theft of Postal Customers' Prescription Drugs

BOSTON - A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier pleaded guilty today to stealing packages containing prescription medications from postal customers on his route.

Michael Vernon, 52, of Somerville, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by a postal officer or employee. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2026. Vernon was arrested and charged in September 2025.

On Jan. 31, 2024, over 1,000 pieces of undelivered mail and 17 bottles of pills prescribed to 10 different postal customers on Vernon's route were discovered in his personal vehicle. Most of the customers whose medications Vernon stole were elderly. The medications included Gabapentin, Chlorthalidone, Citalopram, Bupropion, Glipizide, Butalbital, Atomoxetine, Escitalopram and Tamsulosin Hydrochloride. These medications are used to treat nerve pain, seizures, diabetes, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, depression, anxiety and ADHD. The pill bottles were dated as far back as June 2022.
The charge of theft of mail by a postal employee provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.