Ex-postal worker guilty of mail theft

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A former U.S. Postal Service employee faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court yesterday to stealing credit cards, personal identification numbers, Internet pass codes and U.S. Treasury checks last July while working at the airport post office.

Walter Hayashi, 47, told U.S. District Judge Susan Mollway that he had a "serious drug problem" when he stole mail, which postal inspectors later found at his mother's house.

At a hearing last week, Hayashi had told the judge he believed that someone else put the stolen items into his locker at the post office and then moved it from the locker to his car.

When Mollway asked Hayashi yesterday if he stole the mail and put it in his car, Hayashi answered: "I guess I did."

Hayashi said that he intended to give the stolen credit cards and Treasury checks to a person named John and that he believed John was going to use the cards and checks to "get money."

When asked by Mollway if he was certain he committed a crime, Hayashi said his memory of what happened a year ago is cloudy because of his drug use, which caused him to go without sleep for eight to 10 days at a time. He did not name the drugs he was using.

But investigators from the state Narcotics Enforcement Division said in August said the chief suspect was a Postal Service employee who had a severe crystal methamphetamine addiction.

Kathryn Derwey, Postal Service inspector in charge, said Hayashi was fired in July 2002 after investigators determined that he had been stealing mail.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nakamura, who prosecuted the case, said the losses to credit-card companies or individuals would likely be small because Postal Service inspectors were able to take action quickly and were able to keep the stolen credit cards and checks from being converted into cash.

The Treasury checks were valued at more than $100,000, investigators said.

Hayashi alluded to the involvement of others in stealing mail, but Nakamura said no one else was indicted. Nakamura would not say if an investigation is continuing or whether another person named John conspired with Hayashi.

Mollway set a sentencing date of Dec. 8 and allowed Hayashi to remain free on bail.