El Dorado County postal worker convicted of stealing meds from military veterans
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- El Dorado County postal worker Carrie Wallace pleaded guilty to mail theft.
- Prosecutors said Wallace stole narcotic medication mailed to military veterans.
- She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An El Dorado County woman who worked for the U.S. Postal Service pleaded guilty in federal court for tampering with mailed packages to steal narcotic medication and vape products sent to military veterans.
Carrie Wallace, 47, of Pollock Pines, on Monday pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product and mail theft by a postal employee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced in a news release.
Prosecutors said Wallace used her job as a U.S. Postal Service employee to access and steal mail packages containing prescription medication and vape products. Wallace targeted packages sent from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to patients because those packages generally contained narcotic medications.
Wallace cut into the mailed packages, opened the prescription narcotics medication bottles, stole the medication and replaced it with over-the-counter medication, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wallace then re-taped the packages and placed them back in the mail stream to be delivered to the intended recipients.
Prosecutors said multiple military veteran victims consumed the tampered medication, putting them at risk of injury after taking incorrectly dispensed drugs. Some of the veterans victimized experienced extreme pain, increased agitation, anger and other mental health symptoms.
Wallace faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wallace is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 10.
Monday’s conviction resulted from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the Veteran Affairs Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Moody prosecuted Wallace.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 12:50 PM.
