A Shelly, Minn., man pleaded guilty to the stealing postal money in federal court Friday in St. Paul, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota.
During his plea, Wayne E. O'Connell, 52, a former employee of the U.S. Postal Service, admitted to stealing cash from the money drawer and issuing postal money orders to himself without paying while employed at the Shelly post office.
O'Connell was charged with one count of misappropriation of postal funds on July 5 and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Authorities began investigating O'Connell after it was learned money orders issued from the Shelly post office were cashed prior to dates they were issued.
In December 2012, an audit of the post office revealed $2,729.85 in shortages of cash and stamps.
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O'Connell's sentence hearing has yet to be scheduled.
