By: Richard L. Smith
A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier from Union, has been found guilty of multiple charges, including bribery, fraud, and conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on August 15.
Emerson Pavilus, 49, was convicted on all counts in an indictment that accused him of accepting bribes as a public official, conspiring to defraud the United States, and conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances.
The verdict was delivered by a jury following a trial overseen by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stephanos Bibas, who was presiding in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Court documents and evidence presented at trial revealed that Pavilus, while working as a mail carrier in Flanders, New Jersey, was involved in illegal activities from at least 2015 to 2020.
During this period, Pavilus accepted cash payments in exchange for aiding individuals in intercepting packages containing narcotics and other illegal materials.
He provided his co-conspirators with addresses of vacant homes along his mail route, which they used as drop-off points for the illicit packages.
Pavilus then intercepted these packages from the mail stream and delivered them directly to his conspirators in exchange for bribe payments at undisclosed locations.
The bribery charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount gained from the offense, whichever is greater.
The conspiracy to defraud the United States charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The narcotics conspiracy charge also carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Pavilus’s sentencing date has yet to be determined.