Postal employee, contractor charged with mail theft

VICTORIA, Kan. (AP) - A U.S. Postal Service employee and a contract employee are charged with stealing mail in Kansas.

The U.S. attorney’s office announced the indictments against 30-year-old Manuel De La Cruz, of Wichita, and 48-year-old Stormy Laflin, of Victoria, on Wednesday in a news release.

The release says Cruz stole items from the mail, including parts for firearms and scopes for rifles, in 2016 and 2017 while working as a contract driver in Butler County. Laflin is accused of stealing money orders in August in Ellis County.

If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.