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Mail carrier said he stashed mail in storage unit instead of delivering it because of job pressure

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A mail carrier’s job can be tough, but as the saying goes “Neither snow nor rain no heat nor gloom of night” will stop them from getting the task done.

But one postal service employee said his job was too overwhelming, so instead of delivering the mail, he took it to a storage unit, planning to stash it there until he could catch up, WTKR reported.

But Jason Delacruz never got the mail that he had stored in the Virginia Beach facility to its final destination.

Officials said they were tipped off in May when a witness took photos of what was happening and contacted the USPS.

Originally, officials said Delacruz said he didn’t go anywhere after work when he was questioned, but eventually confessed, saying he “can’t make time” and felt “pressured” to get his route done. He said he rented the storage unit for $49 a month to store the mail he couldn’t deliver. He said he started stashing the letters in November or December 2018. but started renting the unit in February 2019 and continued to do so until he was caught, WTKR reported.

Delacruz said he intended to deliver the surplus mail, but never found the time, WAVY reported.

When the unit was searched, officials found mail stacked along the back wall including 17 bundles of advertisements dated from January through May 2019, 97 pieces of first-class mail including tax return documents, bank statements and Department of Motor Vehicles mail, 115 second-class mail including magazines, 4,723 other pieces of advertising mail and one package, WTKR reported.

The USPS delivered all of the first-class mail that was in the storage unit but tossed the advertisements.

Delacruz has pleaded guilty to delay of mail matter by officer or employee and will be sentenced in federal court next month, WAVY reported.