Fort Smith, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas and Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division, announced today that Joshua Wayne Williams was arraigned yesterday on federal charges. A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted Williams on four counts of Theft of Mail last month.

According to the Indictment, in October 2019, the Paris, Arkansas, Postmaster contacted a U.S. Postal Inspector and explained that several customers had complained about their greeting cards being stolen.

It was later learned that Williams was the driver on the route and that he had been working for Moore US Mail Contractors Incorporated delivering mail for the US Postal Service.

On October 30, 2019, Postal Inspectors conducted an undercover operation and were able to identify Williams as being the individual responsible for the mail theft. 

A vehicle stop was conducted and Williams was placed under arrest for mail theft.

Duane (DAK) Kees, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas stated, “I applaud the hard work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and their efforts to combat and prevent those in our society that would take advantage of this holiday season in order to prey upon the innocent.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division Inspector in Charge Thomas Noyes stated, “With the upcoming holidays, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our employees, customers, and the nation’s mail system from criminal attacks.  We work to ensure America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail by enforcing over 200 federal laws in investigations of crimes that may adversely affect postal customers or the fraudulent use of the U.S. Mail.  We will investigate any violation of the American public’s trust in the mail system and bring those responsible to justice.  We encourage the public to visit our website, www.uspis.gov, to learn how best to protect themselves and how to report mail related crimes.  We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Logan County Sheriff’s Office and our federal and local law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.”

United States Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford presided over Williams’s arraignment yesterday.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Logan County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Claude Hawkins and Kyra Jenner are prosecuting the case for the United States.

An Indictment is merely an accusation.  An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause.  A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.