Former Kansas City Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Embezzling U.S. Mail

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tiara McGill-Rushing, 34, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on May 6, 2026 to embezzling a large amount of U.S. mail while employed by the Postal Service.

The scope of the admitted conduct centers on one postal employee who had access to mail entrusted to the U.S. Postal Service. The Department of Justice did not release an exact dollar value or item count in its announcement of the plea.

The plea changes McGill-Rushing’s legal status from defendant to convicted felon. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the conviction carries a maximum possible penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, though actual punishment will depend on loss amount, acceptance of responsibility and criminal history.

Downstream, the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General must now calculate exact losses for restitution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will submit a sentencing memorandum outlining the government’s position on loss amount and recommended prison term.

The court must issue a final judgment that includes any restitution order, which the Postal Service can then enforce. Federal probation officers will also prepare a presentence investigation report that feeds into the judge’s sentencing decision.

This case is one of multiple prosecutions brought by the Justice Department against current and former postal employees for theft of mail. The U.S. Postal Service has long maintained a zero-tolerance policy for internal theft because mail contains financial instruments, checks, medications and personal identification documents relied upon by millions of households daily.

The guilty plea was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

Primary sources: U.S. Department of Justice