July 26, 2010
Sioux Falls, SD

US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Yankton man charged with mail theft was sentenced on July 26, 2010, by US District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol. Brandon G. Novak, age 42, was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service. Brandon G. Novak was indicted for five counts of theft of mail by postal employee by a federal grand jury on February 2, 2010. Novak was a full-time United States Postal Service employee, having been so employed since 1996. Novak was a rural mail carrier assigned to deliver mail on Rural Route 7 in Yankton, South Dakota. Between July 1, 2009, and October 15, 2009, Novak came into possession of correspondence and other mail items intended to be conveyed by the United States mail. Included within this correspondence and mail were items containing gift cards and coupons. On several occasions, Novak would take out store coupons and gift cards from mail and use them to buy personal items for himself. He pled guilty to one count of theft of mail on May 5, 2010. This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General – United States Postal Service. Assistant US Attorney Dennis H. Holmes prosecuted the case.

source: United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota