Local RCMP officers have delivered charges against a former postal carrier accused of stealing mail over a 16-year period.
Postal inspectors came to the RCMP in November after getting a call from a local landlord who had evicted her tenant and made a big discovery.
“They went into the apartment to look at it and clean it up and they discovered some mail that they recognized as not being delivered,” said Const. Janie Schoepp with the St. Albert RCMP
As the investigation continued, the RCMP called in the Edmonton Police Service to search a storage locker where they found more mail.
“The vast majority of it was advertising mail and now Canada Post is delivering it,” said Schoepp.
Some of the mail dated back as far as 1993 and while most of it was advertising mail, there were some addressed letters.
Those letters are already starting to be delivered into mailboxes.
John Caines, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said the carrier in question had delivered mail across St. Albert and throughout Edmonton.
He said even though much of the mail is very dated, they intend to deliver everything they can.
“We are going to be delivering all of the addressed mail to the residences.”
Caines said though some of the recipients of the mail may have moved on they will deliver the mail as it addressed. Canada Post will also be sending all of the affected customers a letter of apology.
Caines said much of the commercial or advertising mail is going to be returned to the commercial mailers or delivered if it is more recent.
Anyone with any questions of Canada Post can call their customer information number at 1-800-267-1177.
John Kobitowich, 39, is now facing five charges, including one count of theft of mail, one count of possession of mail known to be stolen, one count of uttering a forged document, one count of personation and one count of criminal breach of trust.
He will make his first court appearance on Monday.
RCMP investigators are encouraging anyone with additional information about this case to contact them at 780-458-7700.
