TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A former rural mail carrier from Jackson County has pleaded guilty in federal court to delaying or destroying U.S. mail after investigators recovered nearly 500 pieces of discarded mail from a burn barrel.
Stacy Michelle Braxton, 39, of Marianna, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of delay or destruction of mail, U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida announced Tuesday.
“Our citizens must be able to rely upon the mail to be delivered quickly, securely, and efficiently, and this postal carrier’s reprehensible violation of the public trust placed in her to fulfill that duty deserves serious punishment,” Heekin said. “I applaud the excellent work of the USPS Inspector General to identify, investigate, and hold accountable this criminal behavior by a postal carrier.”
Quick Facts
- Defendant: Stacy Michelle Braxton, 39, of Marianna, Florida
- Charge: Delay or destruction of mail
- Plea: Guilty
- Mail Recovered: 498 pieces
- Location: Greenwood Post Office, Jackson County, Florida
- Evidence: Mail found discarded in a burn barrel
- Maximum Penalty: Five years in federal prison
- Sentencing Date: Sept. 16, 2026
- Investigating Agency: U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General
According to court documents, Braxton worked as a rural mail carrier at the Greenwood Post Office in Jackson County.
In February 2026, law enforcement recovered 498 pieces of mail from Braxton’s delivery route after they were found discarded in a burn barrel in Marianna. Investigators said Braxton admitted she attempted to dispose of and burn the mail instead of delivering it to the intended recipients.
Braxton faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma Schwan is prosecuting the case.