Postal carrier admits stealing mail to look for cash, gift cards

A carrier who delivered mail for the U.S. Postal Service was sentenced Monday after she admitted to stealing mail from her route in search of cash and gift cards from more than 90 victims, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a news release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Katie Elizabeth Bowlds, 39, of Helena, to two years of probation and ordered $1,847 restitution, the news release said.

Bowlds pleaded guilty in April to possession of stolen mail.

“I hope the restitution ordered today will help make up for the missed birthday, anniversary, and special occasion gifts that Bowlds robbed from people, including kids, when she stole mail and rifled through greeting cards for cash and gift cards,” Laslovich said in a statement. “Mail is necessarily private, and the public expects and deserves to have their mail delivered intact to its intended recipients. Bowlds’ actions eroded this trust, and I am pleased she is being held accountable for her criminal conduct.”

The government alleged in court documents that in 2022, Bowlds worked as a contract delivery services carrier for the U.S. Postal Service on a rural route in Helena, the news release said. In the spring of 2022, Bowlds stole hundreds of greeting cards from her postal route in search of cash and gift cards. Many of these greeting cards contained small denominations of cash and gift cards and were intended for birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones. The cards never reached the intended recipients because of Bowlds’ thefts, which affected more than 90 victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.