Northeast Philly carrier charged with hoarding mail

A former postal worker from Northeast Philadelphia, accused of stashing thousands of pieces of mail in his garage, was charged Monday with willfully obstructing the mail, authorities said.

David Blauser, 42, worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 14 years. He disappeared without warning April 23, leaving behind his wife, his sons, and his job carrying letters in Bustleton.

Family members and investigators began looking for clues. As they searched on April 28, they found the mail: nearly 13,000 undelivered letters, bills, and packages hidden in trash bags in the back of Blauser's garage. All of it bore the zip code 19152. According to reports, it took three mail trucks to remove it all from his Holme Circle house.

Some of the diverted mail dated back to 1997, though the bulk of it had been hoarded after May 2007, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. None of it had been opened. The pieces all eventually reached their intended destinations, postal officials said. Blauser eventually called his wife.

Blauser was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office on Monday by information, which sometimes indicates that a plea deal is in the works.

No one answered the phone Monday night at Blauser's home.

If convicted of obstructing the mail, Blauser could receive a sentence of up to six months in prison, five years' probation, and a $5,000 fine.