Postal worker arrested for Quad mail theft

May be responsible for many of the mailMay be responsible for many of the mailproblems that have plagued campus since '92 An arrest was made last Thursday in connection with multiple mail thefts that have plagued University dormitories since 1992. Postal Clerk Gerald Ricca, a 30-year postal employee, was charged yesterday with one count of mail theft, U.S. Postal Inspector Lou Recchilongo confirmed. According to Recchilongo, Ricca is believed to be responsible for many of the University's long-standing mail problems, particularly those in the Quadrangle. "I believe he is responsible for a great deal of rifled and missing mail," he said yesterday. Last week, Recchilongo observed Ricca opening three greeting card envelopes which contained a total of $130 in cash. The cards were planted in the mail system by postal inspectors as part of an on-going investigation. This is the first arrest of any U.S. Postal employee with regard to the University's mail problems, since the Postal Service began an official investigation in conjunction with University Police and Residential Living officials in the fall of 1992, according to Recchilongo. While complaints have been filed from residences across campus, Recchilongo stressed that most problems were found with mail delivered to the Quad. He attributed this to the fact that Quad residents tend to receive a disproportional number of the campus' greeting cards. He said Ricca had a unique technique of opening greeting card envelopes discreetly with a pen cap. Ricca began sorting the University's mail 20 years ago, but was transferred to a different section of the 30th Street Station five years ago. The postal clerk was first suspected of causing the University's mail problems when he was seen handling envelopes that he was not supposed to be sorting. Recchilongo noted that Ricca was escorted from his work area in handcuffs. He hopes this arrest "has a profound effect on coworkers," perhaps preventing further offenses by other postal employees. He added that if further evidence is gathered, Ricca will be tried for additional counts of mail theft -- a felony punishable by a fine of $2,000, five years in prison, or both. Recchilongo said the investigation will continue, but explained that Ricca's misconduct is "a rare occurrence." Detective Supervisor of the University Police department Michael Carroll said students who reported their mail complaints were vital to the success of the investigation. Initially, the Department of Residential Living installed cameras in mailrooms and replaced student mailroom workers with retired postal employees in an effort to eliminate mail problems originating at the University. But it was not until last September that Postal Inspector Charles McManus determined mail tampering was caused by human hands -- possibly those of employees of the 30th Street Post Office. Director of Residential Living Gigi Simeone said that while she does not expect this arrest to solve all of the University's mail problems, she hopes they will be greatly diminished. "We are delighted that someone has been arrested," she said. "This has been a long-standing frustration."