Church Hill mail carrier Carolyn Elise Derrick received a suspended six month jail sentences and was ordered to pay restitution for stealing a $100 gift card from a letter she delivered prior to Christmas.
Derrick, who received a Title 40 pretrial diversion for theft of mail last week in Hawkins County Sessions Court, will not face federal charges.
Dan Mihalko, a spokesman with the Inspector General’s Office, said Friday that Agent Beth Hendren unsuccessfully sought federal prosecution of Derrick.
Mihalko said. “She did go through extensive efforts to get federal prosecution, but the U.S. attorney did decline, so that’s why it went state.”
The Title 40 pretrial diversion received by Derrick in state court last week means that if she stays out of trouble for the duration of her suspended sentence, her criminal record will be expunged.
Absolutely outrageous. Obviously that is not the first thing she stole, it’s just the first time she got caught.
I can tell you that if I went around stealing people’s mail, I would get a nice prison sentence, no two ways about it. But it is MUCH worse for the mail carrier to steal it than some random person!
And the expunging of the record, what is that all about. Nice work if you can get it. Maybe they will make her employee of the month and give her a little raise.