'Extremely concerning': Postal worker accused of dumping election-related mail in woods

A contract postal worker in Orange County, Florida, has been criminally charged after tossing election-related mail in the woods, Florida Politics reported on Friday.

According to the report, Ottis Nicole McCoy, Jr. first triggered red flags "raised after another employee helped McCoy load the day’s route that morning and McCoy left 'with a very large quantity of U.S. Mail' to deliver Tuesday but instead finished the route earlier than expected, the complaint said. McCoy’s boss at Cummings Contract Delivery Service Corp checked the GPS under McCoy’s car and could see the postal worker veered off his route."

One of McCoy's coworkers drove to the lot and found mail strewn around bushes and trees. Surveillance footage from a nearby home's camera showed McCoy dumping the mail. Around 1,000 mail items were discarded, including 400 political mailings, and "at least one mail-in ballot," according to the report.

McCoy has been charged with theft of mail, which is a federal offense.

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“It is extremely concerning to see vote-by-mail ballots discarded on the ground. We are, however, grateful for the prompt action taken by the United States Postal Service and the leadership of United States Attorney Roger Handberg from the Middle District of Florida,” Orange County Elections Supervisor Glen Gilzean, who oversees voting in Orlando and surrounding areas, said in a statement.

This is not the first report of shenanigans involving mail-in ballots for this election; in Phoenix, Arizona, a suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of arson this week after a USPS collection box filled with ballots was burned.

Meanwhile, other criminal schemes to interfere with the election are also under investigation; prosecutors in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania announced on Friday they had uncovered a scheme to create thousands of fraudulent voter registrations.