Brooklyn Postal Worker Hoarded 40,000 Pieces of Undelivered Mail
A USPS postal worker who reportedly struggled with alcohol addiction and depression was caught hoarding over 40,000 pieces of undelivered mail that were intended for the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. over the course of ten years.
The postal worker, 67-year-old Joseph Brucato, admitted to stashing the 2,500 pounds worth of mail in his car, his home, and in his locker at work. When postal agents went to remove the mail, it took almost five hours to remove the letters from his apartment.
A postal supervisor became suspicious that Brucato was up to something weird when he noticed his personal car was stuffed with undelivered letters, the complaint said.
Investigators pressed Brucato about the letter cache, and he copped to hoarding more than a ton of mail — a total of 2,500 pounds — over the past decade.
The haul included priority, first-class and regular mail that had once been headed for Brooklyn businesses and residents in Flatbush, according to court papers.
Brucato admitted to hoarding the mail since 2005 and has been suspended with pay until the case is settled.
A spokesperson for the USPS said that the organization will undergo the daunting task of delivering Brucato's stash, so if you've been waiting for that Pottery Barn catalog since 2005, it might still be coming. Don't give up hope.
