INDIANAPOLIS — A glittering San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl ring worn to work. Stolen cellphones resold for cash. And surveillance footage that caught it all.
Three United States Postal Service employees at an Indianapolis distribution facility now face felony charges after a federal investigation uncovered what prosecutors say was an ongoing pattern of mail theft — carried out from inside the building where they worked.
The Ring That Gave It Away
The case against Shavez Walker began with a tip.
Agents with the USPS Office of Inspector General arrived at the facility at 5505 Brookville Road on March 31 to question Walker after receiving information he had been stealing from the mail. When investigators sat down with him, they noticed something unusual — Walker was wearing a large, diamond-covered 49ers ring that had previously gone missing from the mail system and had since turned up in a supervisor’s office.
Walker removed the ring during the interview and told investigators he had simply found it on the floor near the sorting machines.
Surveillance footage told a different story.
Video from the facility appeared to show Walker already wearing the ring when he arrived for his shift — before he could have found it anywhere inside the building. A jewelry expert later examined the piece and determined it was crafted from 10-karat gold set with genuine diamonds, valuing it at over $9,500.
The Phone Resale Operation
Walker’s alleged theft wasn’t limited to jewelry.
He is also accused of stealing cellphones from the mail system and reselling them — a scheme that, in separate cases, also ensnared two of his coworkers.
Marcus Milbrooks and Doneeka Terry are accused of stealing at least five cellphones from the facility and selling them for profit. According to investigators, Milbrooks admitted to the thefts and told agents that his wife and Terry were both involved in reselling the stolen devices. Terry, prosecutors allege, received a cut of the proceeds.
Charges
All three — Walker, Milbrooks, and Terry — have been charged with official misconduct and theft, both Level 6 felonies under Indiana law. Their cases are being prosecuted separately.
The USPS Office of Inspector General, which investigates crimes involving the postal system and its employees, led the investigation.
Mail theft has become a growing concern across the United States in recent years, with federal authorities ramping up enforcement efforts targeting both postal workers and outside criminals who intercept deliveries.
If you believe you are a victim of mail theft, you can report it to the USPS Office of Inspector General at 1-888-877-7644.
