USPS employee federally charged after discarding mail, absentee ballots into dumpster

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A United States Postal Service employee has been federally charged for willfully obstructing the passage of mail after more than 100 absentee ballots and other mail were found discarded in a dumpster more than a week ago.

DeShawn Bojgere, 30, has been charged with the federal crime of delaying or destruction of mail, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

According to a release from the Department of Justice, Bojgere allegedly discarded a large quantity of mail sometime between October 5 and October 15.

The mail was found in a construction dumpster on Galene Drive in Louisville, containing 111 general election ballots from the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office that were being mailed to voters to be filled out.

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The discarded mail also included approximately 69 mixed class pieces of flat rate mail, 320 second class pieces of mail, and two national election campaign flyers from a political party in Florida, according to the release.

Special Agent Scott Balfour said on October 16 that all mail was “returned to the USPS and will be delivered to customers (Thursday).”

Balfour also said the discarded mail was intended for delivery in the Jeffersontown area, the 40299 zip code in particular.

“Especially in these times, Americans depend on the reliability and integrity of those that deliver the U.S. Mail,” said United States Attorney Russell Coleman. “Conduct by Postal employees that violates that duty will result in swift federal prosecution.”

Bojgere admitted to special agents with the U.S. Postal Service that he was responsible for discarding the mail in the construction dumpster, and is no longer employed by the postal service.

If convicted at trial, Bojgere will face no more than five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release after the sentence is served.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Tieke and Tom Dyke, and is being investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General.