New Jersey USPS Employee Arrested for Dumping Election Ballots in the Trash

USPS employee, Nicholas Beauchene, was arrested for throwing away official election ballots that were supposed to be delivered to residents in West Orange County. He’s been charged with one count of delay, secretion, or detention of mail and one count of obstruction of mail. He will appear in Newark federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor this afternoon.

He discarded almost 2000 pieces of mail, 99 of which were official election ballots, but prosecutors say they don’t believe there is a political motive for this. However, they haven’t said what the motive is or might have been. Beauchene was arrested on Wednesday but has since been released into the custody of his brother for posting bail for $25,000.

Case documents read:

Approximately 1,875 pieces of mail – including 627 pieces of first class, 873 pieces of standard class, two pieces of certified mail, 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange, and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Orange Town Council and Board of Education – were recovered from dumpsters in North Arlington and West Orange on Oct. 2, 2020, and Oct. 5, 2020. The mail had been scheduled to be delivered on Sept. 28, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2, 2020, to addresses on certain postal routes in Orange and West Orange. On the delivery dates for which mail was recovered, Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver mail to the addresses on the recovered mail.

The charge for delaying mail is punishable by a max penalty of five years in prison with a $250,000 fine. For obstructing mail he could face a maximum punishment of 6 months in prison and a $5000 fine.

Sources: Breaking 911, USA Today; Photo-Daily Voice