Trial in Feldkirch

Thieving postman convicted by tracking device

(Bild: Chantal Dorn, Krone KREATIV)

A postal employee (40) stole hundreds of parcels from the distribution center in Egg last year. The previously blameless man was put on trial at Feldkirch Regional Court on Wednesday.

If the show "Wetten, dass" still existed, the accused would certainly have had a good chance of winning the competition. Because within six months, the brazen Post AG employee managed to steal 563 (!) parcels with a total value of 78,000 euros from the distribution center in Egg without anyone noticing. As customer complaints piled up and the thief could not be found, Swiss Post fitted several parcels with tracking devices. These led directly to the defendant's home address. When the police arrived, they not only found the confessed perpetrator, but also most of the stolen goods, some of which were in their original packaging. The thief was released without notice.

No sign of recovery
But for the German-born man, the matter was far from over. Following the motto "Now more than ever!", he continued his thefts by gaining unnoticed access to the warehouse via a defective sliding door. But in the end, these thefts could also be proven against the man.

Asked by Judge Theo Rümmele about the crimes, the accused said: "I don't know either. I don't recognize myself anymore." He was simply angry about the dismissal, especially as his boss had promised him the opposite on the basis of his confession.

I don't recognize myself anymore. I was just angry about the dismissal because I was promised something else.

Der Angeklagte vor Gericht

Mild sentence for family man
Because the accused has a clean criminal record, has confessed and is responsible for the care of three small children, and because the stolen goods were largely recovered, the accused was given a lenient sentence. The Council sentenced him to a conditional prison sentence of nine months and a fine of 1440 euros for commercial theft. He must also pay Post AG 20,000 euros in partial damages. Swiss Post itself has already paid 44,000 euros to the injured parties and the seized parcels will now be auctioned off. The judgment is legally binding.