Driver Charged With Stealing Money Multiple Times From US Mail

This occurred outside of our usual area but it’s of interest.
Press release from the Northern District of California’s US Attorney’s Office:

United States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaChristopher Ernest Rocha was charged in a criminal complaint with theft of public money, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael E. Nuñez, United States Postal Inspection Service. The criminal complaint was signed following Rocha’s arrest on January 21, 2020, and his appearance the next day before the Honorable Sallie Kim, U.S. Magistrate Judge.

According to an affidavit filed by a postal inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Rocha, 50, of Fresno, Calif., was employed as a driver by an independent trucking company that supplies transportation services to the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”). Rocha transported U.S. mail, as well as money and other USPS property, from post offices in Sonoma County to a USPS processing and distribution center in San Francisco.

As stated in the affidavit, on January 21, 2020, Rocha took custody of and signed for a mail bag from the Healdsburg Post Office. Surveillance showed Rocha carry what appeared to be the same bag to the cab of his truck before leaving Healdsburg. Rocha then drove to the Santa Rosa Main Post Office, where surveillance indicated that he disposed of a torn USPS remittance pouch used to store cash for transport. From Santa Rosa, Rocha drove to San Francisco, where he was arrested. A search of the cab of Rocha’s truck revealed a stack of over $5,000 in cash. Serial numbers on the bills matched those placed in the mail bag at the Healdsburg Post Office.

The affidavit suggests that Rocha has stolen the cash inside of mail bags on a number of occasions and that he used the money to pay bills, buy drugs, and buy a Corvette.

Rocha is charged with one count of theft of public money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641.

Rocha made his initial appearance this morning in federal court before Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. Magistrate Judge Kim released Rocha on a $50,000 bond and scheduled his next court appearance for February 11, 2020, for preliminary hearing or arraignment.

A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted on the charge in the criminal complaint, the defendant would face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, three (3) years’ supervised release, and a fine of $25,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would only be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rubino is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Indignant 1
Guest
4 years ago

8 out of 10 government employees
Are
Public sector grifters…

Socialists love to give gravy gigs to all the loyal trough feeders.

Dave
Guest
Dave
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

Don’t give gov. employee bad rep because of this guy. He was hired by the contractor. There are always checks and balances at the post office to catch crooks like him.

jacalope
Guest
jacalope
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

73.4% or is it 74.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

4 out of 5 dentist prefer sugerless gum. 1 out of 5 dentist prefer cavities, cha ching.

No Joke
Guest
No Joke
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

He was working for a private contractor, he was not a government employee. Read the article.

James Ritchie
Guest
James Ritchie
4 years ago
Reply to  No Joke

Hired by the government, who obviously didn’t give him the funds to live the life he thought he deserved.

The Hierarchy of Needs

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  James Ritchie

Yup. He needed drugs and a Corvette. Don’t we all.

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

🕯🌳Different name same tactics I-1,still trying got to give you credit for that. 👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

Conservatives love to be useful pawn idiots for the rich.

Seamus
Guest
Seamus
4 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you for spending even more time on the site maintaining decorum. It is so easy for these comment sections to go off the rails. Too easy to end up with two or three people basically airing out their personal disagreements and dislikes for each other without any regard to the topic at hand.

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

Quit throwing around the word Socialist. Understand that word before you use it because cheap digs at “Liberals” just make you look dumb.

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Yeah,sure

Hooray! The voicing of a principle . Can it signal a sea-change in dialog where cheap shots are disparaged?

Jim Brickley
Guest
Jim Brickley
4 years ago
Reply to  Indignant 1

Yeh, because the ‘private sector’ gets everything so right!

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
4 years ago

Only 50000 bail. This guy breached a serious trust. He needs to be in jail for a long time.

Rushton Sedberry Jr.
Guest
Rushton Sedberry Jr.
4 years ago

He stole from me as well. I have more names of corrupt postal officials and government workers.

burblestein
Guest
burblestein
4 years ago

Then turn those names in to the Postal Inspectors, Rushton.

John harding
Guest
John harding
4 years ago

Eagle house

Ice
Guest
Ice
4 years ago

Makes me wonder if he was stealing registered mail packages as well. I have had 3 registered and certified mail packages ” lost” by USPS in the last year and heard of others as well. All disappeared off their tracking system between Eureka and SF…

TJay
Guest
TJay
4 years ago

honestly shocked they actually pursued charges for a change. Usually they catch postal crime and don’t even press charges. Despite that its a federal crime, people that get caught for mail theft in humboldt and large number of other bay to nor cal areas. Seem to never serve any time or even make it to court or lasting the charges.