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A 31-year-old mail carrier pleaded guilty to destroying federal property after intentionally crashing a U.S. Postal Service van into another vehicle at a Merrifield delivery annex, causing a chain-reaction collision and thousands of dollars in damage.
The Jan. 16 incident began shortly after the carrier finished her shift around 5 p.m. at the USPS facility at 2920 Eskridge Road. She left the annex but returned minutes later after realizing that her cellphone was missing.
Court documents say she accused co-workers and supervisors of stealing the phone, knocked over and threw objects inside the facility, ignored orders to stop and taunted supervisors to call police.
She then took keys to a postal truck, entered the parking lot and drove a van into another USPS vehicle. The impact pushed that vehicle into a third parked postal vehicle, damaging all three.
After leaving the van, she used a metal water bottle to shatter the driver-side window of one of the vehicles, prosecutors said.
A statement of facts placed the total damage at no less than $42,376. A U.S. Postal Inspection Service agent offered a lower estimate in a March 28 affidavit, putting the anticipated repair cost at approximately $21,000.
A federal grand jury in Alexandria indicted the carrier May 29 on two counts of destroying more than $1,000 worth of government property. Under a plea agreement, she admitted guilt to one count, and prosecutors will dismiss the second at sentencing.
She could receive up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The agreement also requires her to obtain recommended mental health treatment and complete an anger-management course while under supervision.
Her federal public defender declined to comment, citing office policy. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.