Tacoma USPS supervisor took gift cards, cash from mail. Here's her sentence
A former supervisor at a U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Tacoma who pleaded guilty to opening mail to steal gift cards and cash in late 2023 has been sentenced to a year of probation.
Faliu Titialii, 53, admitted to the misdemeanor of delaying or destroying mail earlier this year in U.S. District Court for the District of Western Washington. Federal prosecutors recommended the sentence that Tacoma-based Judge David W. Christel imposed Tuesday, noting that her criminal conduct occurred over a relatively short time and that the amount she stole was low compared to other federal crimes.
Titialii was ordered to pay restitution to 59 people, according to court documents, amounting to $2,834.63. Some of the victims were coupled together. The individual thefts ranged from as little as $4 to as much as $200. She also is expected to complete 160 hours of community service.
The government's probation office said Titialii breached the public's trust in the USPS to deliver mail without tampering with its contents.
Prosecutors noted that Titialii had no criminal history, and she reported to the probation office that she was going through a stressful time in her personal and professional life in fall 2023. Their sentencing recommendation took that into account along with Titialii's acceptance of responsibility. Prosecutors said she admitted to her conduct 'fairly quickly' when confronted by the USPS Office of the Inspector General.
Titialii was placed on leave from her position as supervisor of distribution operations at the Tacoma Processing and Distribution Center on Oct. 27, 2023 when USPS agents interviewed her. An investigation determined Titialii was working on the days that tampered mail was found in a female restroom. She resigned in December 2023 after working for the USPS for about nine years.
A federal public defender representing Titialii, Lindsay McCaslin, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that her client's conduct in the case was highly out of character and that her actions effectively destroyed her career. The terms of her plea agreement included that she would not apply for future employment with the USPS.
'Ms. Titialii knows that none of the circumstances in her life excuse the choices she made,' McCaslin wrote. 'She is embarrassed by her behavior and wishes she could undo it. This is not how she was raised, and those actions don't align with her values. She wishes she could apologize to everyone affected.'
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