Hot gold puts Mich. postal worker in hot water

[December 19, 2008]  MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) -- A Detroit-area postal worker has been charged with stealing gold from the mail after he tried to pawn his treasure to the shop that had shipped it.

The postal worker sold the gold on Nov. 7 to G&S Brokers pawn shop for $320. Authorities told The Detroit News that jeweler James Zelinske recognized the gold because he had melted and mailed it to a business in Ann Arbor.

Zelinske had insured the parcel of gold for $1,000.

The postal worker has been charged with embezzling mail from the Mount Clemens post office. He appeared Thursday in federal court in Detroit. Court records did not identify his lawyer.

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.