After hearing complaints of missing mail, the U.S. Postal Service's Office of the Inspector General initiated a sting to catch the person who may have been responsible.
Special agents say 56-year-old John Iacono was caught red handed.
According to police, the Clifton Heights mail carrier was taking his work home.
On April 11th at the Lansdowne Tower Apartments along the suspect's Upper Darby route, special agents operated a sting using two sealed envelopes. One of the envelopes contained $200 in cash; both envelopes were equipped with electronic surveillance devices.
The agents placed them in the outgoing mail, and minutes after Iacono picked up the mail, surveillance detected him opening one of the envelopes.
Postal officials discovered the planted envelope with the cash inside opened on the front seat of Iacono's postal vehicle.
According to Superintendent Michael Chitwood, they discovered more.
"In his lunch box, they found other mail addressed to people in Downingtown, they found a duffle bag that was his personal bag with assorted mail in there," said Supt. Chitwood.
"You always think of the postal service as something that is always there; you always trust it," said Jason Ipock of Alden.
Clifton Heights postal patrons reacted to the federal sting.
"It's a shame you trust these people and some people in there aren't trustworthy," said Tim Metheen.
Agents also recovered more stolen mail in a search of Iacono's personal vehicle on Friday.
Authorities say they don't know for sure how many times he has gotten away with it.
"He has a huge responsibilit. By and large the employees are decent people, and when you get something like this, a thug, bum like this, it gives a black eye to everyone," said Supt. Chitwood.
Iacono did not answer the door to his Secane home. He faces charges for theft and receiving stolen property.