Completely overwhelmed!

“Cellar postman” stashed hundreds of items at home

Hundreds of parcels and letters ended up in the cellar compartment of the now dismissed postman in the district of Mödling (Lower Austria).

(Bild: P. Huber, Krone KREATIV)

A 26-year-old postal employee from the district of Mödling (Lower Austria) was found to have a bundle of documents and parcels stashed away in his cellar. He had not delivered them between 2019 and 2023, but had stored, damaged or destroyed them there. Passports were also among them. He has now lost his job.

According to police reports on Tuesday, the total damage is still not quantifiable, but the amount is enormous: hundreds of letters and parcels were not properly delivered by a former postal employee from the district of Mödling, but were diverted and stowed away in his cellar compartment. The 26-year-old from the district of Mödling is an Austrian citizen and has been working for Austrian Post at the Mödling delivery base since 2017. He is now being charged with abuse of authority, suppression of documents, permanent confiscation of property and data falsification.

Hundreds of consignments
From the end of 2019 to the end of 2023, the postman allegedly did not deliver countless letters and parcels, but kept them in his basement compartment and also damaged, tore open or destroyed them. Specifically, according to the police, 802 RSa and RSb letters, 516 parcels and large letters and 464 registered items were affected.

Passports destroyed
In addition, the accused, who has fully confessed, destroyed eleven passports, suppressed 147 RSa and RSb return receipts and electronically forged the signatures of at least ten recipients. The case came to light in January when he granted a voluntary inspection of his cellar compartment. The consignments were then taken to the Mödling delivery base.

"The number of undelivered items was enormous and it took several months to count, allocate and record them in Excel spreadsheets," said the Lower Austria Provincial Police Directorate.

The counting, allocation and recording in Excel tables took several months.

Landespolizeidirektion Niederösterreich

Postman was probably overwhelmed
The 26-year-old was probably overwhelmed. He always received his service vehicle and various items in the morning hours. Before loading, the postman then failed to scan the parcels and letters as planned, which is why he was able to avoid detection for a long time because the items could not be traced.

The man then probably took some of the undelivered "goods" to his cellar compartment "after work". He lost his job a long time ago - he was dismissed at the beginning of the year.