MIAMI — A United States Postal Service employee was arrested earlier this week after allegedly being caught trying to steal over $1 million worth of U.S. Department of Treasury checks.
Authorities said they took Sylvester Green Byrd, 35, into custody on Wednesday at the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 2200 NW 72nd Ave. in Miami.
The arrest was a result of a multi-agency operation that included the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the United States Secret Service and the North Miami Beach Police Department.
Authorities said the operation was a response to “credible reports alleging that postal employee(s) were unlawfully removing U.S. Treasury checks from circulation.”
According to officials, a shipment of U.S. Treasury checks was received at the facility on Wednesday and they were given to Byrd by another employee for the purpose of “sorting and delivery to their intended recipients.”
After bringing the checks to his assigned work area, authorities said Byrd was observed by postal agents “concealing a substantial quantity of treasury checks inside his shirt” and then leaving his work station and heading toward the facility’s exit.
According to authorities, Byrd was then detained by postal agents and a total of 451 U.S. Treasury checks were recovered, and the total sum of the checks exceeded $1 million.
Officials noted that they observed Byrd using a blue iPhone during the crimes, which led them to believed he may have been working with one or more co-conspirators.
Jail records show Byrd was taken into custody without incident on one count of first-degree grand theft and over 50 counts of fraudulent use or possession of personal identification information.
He was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remains as of Thursday morning with bond listed as “to be set.”
In a statement to Local 10, USPS confirmed that Byrd was an employee who was currently in a non-duty status.
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