HOUSTON – A postal worker has been indicted on federal charges after a video surfaced in June showing a Postal Service worker dumping campaign fliers for Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls' into a dumpster.
Officials said Lovely Eliabe, 24, of Richmond, turned herself in to federal authorities after being indicted on Sept. 15 on a charge of destroying U.S. mail. Officials said Eliabe was employed as a rural carrier associate at the U.S. Postal Service when the crime was committed on June 26, prosecutors said.
Recommended Videos
The US Postal Service worker caught on video throwing away my campaign mailers during the July runoff has been indicted on a federal felony charge of destroying US mail and faces up to 5 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine: https://t.co/HroxL0IQIO
— Sheriff Troy Nehls (@SheriffTNehls) September 25, 2020
Nehls, who was up against fellow Republican Kathaleen Wall in the July congressional primary runoff election, said he learned of the incident after a business owner who saw it happen called him.
The business owner said he showed Nehls the video footage of a postal worker throwing an object in the dumpster behind a building near FM 359. The owner said when he went to go retrieve what was thrown away, he found Nehls’ campaign fliers.
Officials said Eliabe violated her obligation to deliver all of the mail matter entrusted to her as a USPS employee. Officials said she is no longer a USPS employee.
Eliabe is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Christina Bryan at 2 p.m. Friday.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.