Check your receipts: USPS postmaster steals thousands from small town while embezzling locals’ money

A United States Postal Service employee has been caught dipping her hand into both public and private payments.

Joyce Smith, a 51-year-old former postmaster, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by government employee after she was caught scheming with citizens’ cash and government payments.

‘Smith even brazenly issued herself around $3,700 in money orders.’

The Scott City, Kansas, ex-postmaster was caught when it was revealed that she had taken more than $57,000 from the USPS between January 2023 and February 2025.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas documented in a press release on Tuesday that Smith’s biggest score came from typically normal services. Regular check payments for permits or mass mailings were reportedly routine for some of the post office’s customers, and while Smith accepted the checks and provided the services, she did not log the receipts into the USPS records system.

These payments constituted the majority of the money stolen, totaling just under $40,000. This includes checks for a total of $16,788 issued by the City of Scott City, Kansas, which has a population of just over 4,000 and a median income of $54,800.

Other missing funds included $5,850 from the Scott County Landfill and another $17,108 in checks from a local newspaper. All of this money is unaccounted for, according to the USPS.

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In addition to taking money from the businesses and government entities, an audit indicated that Smith stole approximately $10,600 in cash payments from customers, but that was not all.

Smith even brazenly issued herself around $3,700 in money orders. The government employee is also said to have embezzled another $3,400 from fees customers were paying for their P.O. boxes, bringing Smith’s grand total of stolen funds to more than $57,400.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser said that Smith likely thought her position would allow her to continue to “fill her pockets with money” that didn’t belong to her and likely thought she would not get caught or face any consequences.

Kriegshauser added that Smith’s behavior “reminds us of why audits and other forms of government oversight of financial records are necessary.”

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The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is currently investigating the case, but released a statement saying that the guilty plea was the result of “hard work and dedication” by special agents in the U.S. attorney’s office.

Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop said that law enforcement partners remain committed to “safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

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