USPS worker accused of dumping mail including postal ballots in New Jersey, Trump tweets ‘rigged!’
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A US postal worker in New Jersey has been arrested after he threw almost 2,000 pieces of mail, including election ballots, in dumpsters.
Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, faces charges of delay, secretion or detention of mail and obstruction of mail, ABC13 reported.
Millions of Americans are set to vote by mail in this year's presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prosecutors have said that they do not believe Mr Beauchene's dumping of the mail was politically motivated.
However, Donald Trump - who has repeatedly claimed without evidence that postal ballots could fall foul of voter fraud - was quick to latch onto the case.
"Rigged!" the president tweeted on Monday morning with a picture of the recovered mail. It was reportedly found in dumpsters in North Arlington and West Orange on 2 October and 5 October.
Some 1,875 pieces of mail were recovered, including 600 first-class items and 99 ballots for November's election.
The mail had been scheduled to be delivered to addresses on postal routes in Orange and West Orange, Essex County.
In addition to the election ballots for residents in West Orange, prosecutors said 276 campaign flyers from candidates for the West Orange Council and the school board also were recovered.
Prosecutors said Mr Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver to the addresses on the delivery dates.
The recovered mail was placed back into the mail stream for delivery.
Attorney Sara Merin asked for Mr Beauchene's bail to be set at $50,000 because he admitted discarding the mail and subsequently quit his job over the incident.
He was released on $25,000 bail into the custody of his brother.
If found guilty of obstructing mail - a federal crime - Mr Beauchene could be sentenced to a maximum jail term of six months and face a fine up to $5,000.
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