The Wasilla postal carrier who was accused of mail dumping and convicted of Desertion of Mail in April has been sentenced by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith on Monday.

48-year-old Thomas Gerald Hilty, who worked as a postal carrier had, according to the Department of Justice, abandoned mail along his route, putting the mail in unused mail receptacles. In addition, Hilty kept much of the mail in and around his home and even burned a portion of it.

According to DoJ, “The deserted mail included a passport, insurance correspondence, PFD letters, college acceptance letters, child support payments, among other unknown types of mail that Hilty burned. 

Attorney U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder said in the largest mail dumping incident in Alaska’s history, Hilty simply tired of delivering the mail in his care. There were as many as 467 victims in the case.

Judge Smith sentenced Hilty to three years probation, 300 hours of community work service, and a $1,000. Judge Smith said that Hilty could have been fined a higher amount but pointed to his inability to pay.

  abandonment, burning, carrier, destruction, mail, postal, victims