Piles of undelivered mail found in Mich. shed

[May 25, 2010]  DETROIT (AP) -- Thousands of pieces of undelivered mail and ads from the early 1990s have been found in a shed in Michigan, and a former postal worker is now charged with stealing mail.

Authorities said Monday that 66-year-old Earl Hicks was charged after his sister found the mail while cleaning a shed behind his former home in eastern Michigan. Hicks recently moved to Florida.

Officials found 544 pieces of first-class mail and nearly 3,000 ads.

Investigators say Hicks told them he'd become overwhelmed by his route and thought he'd lose his job if he took the mail back to the post office. Hicks was a carrier in Oak Park and Detroit.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

A message was left Monday at a phone number listed for Hicks.

[Associated Press]

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