CLEVELAND — A postal service manager at a post office in Downtown Cleveland has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing illegal drugs from the mail.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Anthony Sharp, 30, of South Euclid, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, money laundering and theft of mail.
Authorities state that the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into Sharp’s alleged illicit activities of profiling and stealing mail that he suspected contained drugs.
On July 22, USPS OIG special agents and postal inspectors observed Sharp sorting mail by hand at a processing facility and removing two packages that he later placed in his vehicle. It was determined that the packages contained methamphetamine and cocaine, according to the attorney’s office.
Authorities said that Sharp was later pulled over for a traffic stop and the packages were found in his vehicle. Additionally, police found a third package in his vehicle that contained around two kilograms of a fentanyl mixture. All three packages were opened. More open packages were found in the trunk, but they were empty.
As part of the investigation, Sharp was forced to forfeit $100,000 as well as a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a 2019 Polaris Slingshot roadster.
“This defendant allegedly stole what he believed to be were drugs shipped through the mail and then sold them for a great profit,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “I am grateful for the work of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their hard work on this investigation and to help keep illegal drugs out of our community.”
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