January 13, 2004
For Immediate Release
P R E S S R E L E A S E
WALTER HAYASHI (47) of Honolulu, a 22-year employee of the United States Postal Service, was sentenced yesterday to 45 months in prison, and fined $1,000 for stealing mail and unlawfully possessing stolen mail, including credit cards and federal tax refund checks. In imposing the sentence, United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway called HAYASHI's admittedly false courtroom testimony that the incident was the first time he stole mail, a clear affront to the judicial system.
Edward H. Kubo, Jr., United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to information produced in court, HAYASHI also admitted being addicted to crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," when he stole mail from the Honolulu Airport Post Office where he had been employed as a distribution clerk. HAYASHI was caught by United States Postal Inspectors with stolen mail outside the Post Office after he finished work on July 17, 2002. He was terminated by the Postal Service due to his criminal conduct in this case.
Mr. Kubo stated that the public places its trust in government employees like HAYASHI to faithfully perform their duties. The significant jail sentence imposed on HAYASHI demonstrates that government employees who use their employment to commit crimes to violate that trust expose themselves to serious sanctions.
Mr. Kubo praised the efforts of the Postal Inspection Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration who were responsible for investigating this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nakamura.
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