Contract truck driver pleads guilty to stealing U. S. mail parcels intended for Joplin residents

A driver who worked for a company that contracted with the U. S. Postal Service pleaded guilty this morning in U. S. District Court to stealing $7,358.35 worth of parcels, including everything from cash, gold and silver plates to rash cream and prescription toothpaste.

A grand jury indictment of Christopher Sorenson, 37, Springfield, was unsealed this morning in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, followed by Sorenson's guilty plea. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and Sorenson was released on an appearance bond. No date has been scheduled for sentencing.

Investigators became aware of the crimes following a number of complaints of missing parcels, which had been scanned in at the Joplin Post Office at 101 N. Main Street, but never arrived at the Post Office at 3115 South Main.

Sorenson's job did not require him to touch the mail, but to load and unload tubs, but surveillance video captured Sorenson removing parcels from the tub and hiding them beneath his shirt, in his pants and by placing them in otherwise empty tubs. The video captured crimes being committed on 18 separate days between May 12, 2020 and July 2020, according to the plea agreement.

A search of Sorenson's vehicle and property uncovered the following items that had been stolen from the U. S. Postal Service:

-Four pieces of First Class mail

-Box of multi-tool blades

-Silver coins

-Silver bars

-Honda center cap

-Cole Haan eyeglasses and case

-eye makeup

-package of Savoy tea

-wooden engraved plaque

-three boxes of rash cream

-two pairs of prescription eyeglasses

-an electronic tablet

-a bracelet

-three boxes of hair dye

-two business stamps

-a ceramic plate

-cuff links

-bags of U. S. coins

-three grams of gold

-nine gift cards

-prescription toothpaste