ATLANTA — Two former U.S. Postal Service employees have pleaded guilty in federal court after admitting they stole items from the mail at an Atlanta facility and, in one case, fraudulently obtained pandemic relief funds.
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Federal prosecutors say former mail recovery clerk Daniqua Clark pleaded guilty to stealing cash, gift cards, and other items from the mail while working at the Atlanta Mail Recovery Center. Clark also admitted to fraudulently obtaining two pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Another former mail recovery clerk, Deneeka Ferguson, pleaded guilty to participating in the mail theft scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Clark and Ferguson worked at the United States Postal Service Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta, which serves as the agency’s “lost and found” department for undeliverable and non-returnable mail.
Prosecutors say that between May 2023 and February 2024, Clark worked with Ferguson to steal items from the mail while on the job. Investigators say the two exchanged text messages identifying specific items they wanted to steal and discussing ways to conceal the thefts, including cash.
During a November 2024 interview with law enforcement, Clark admitted to stealing items from the mail both on her own and with Ferguson. Authorities later searched Clark’s USPS locker and personal vehicle and recovered several stolen items, including gift cards, fragrances, and a pill container belonging to an unknown person.
In a separate interview with investigators in February 2025, Ferguson admitted she helped Clark steal mail and received stolen items in exchange for her assistance.
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Investigators also determined Clark fraudulently obtained two PPP loans totaling $36,402 for a nonexistent business. According to prosecutors, Clark submitted a fake tax document as part of the application. The loan funds were deposited into the same Atlanta-based bank account where she received her USPS salary and were later used for personal expenses rather than payroll costs required under the program.
“Clark abused the public’s trust by stealing thousands of dollars of items from the mail and obtaining two fraudulent PPP loans for a non-existent business while serving as a federal employee,” said Theodore S. Hertzberg, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
“This guilty plea sends a strong message to any U.S. Postal Service employee who decides to violate the public’s trust in this manner,” said Jonathan Ulrich, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Clark, 35, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft, one count of mail theft, and two counts of wire fraud.
Ferguson, 41, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to five counts of obstruction of mail.
Both women are scheduled to be sentenced on June 11.
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