MADISON, Wisconsin — March 2026
A former United States Postal Service employee has been sentenced to four years of probation after admitting to stealing and cashing Menards rebate checks from his mail route.
According to the office of Timothy M. O’Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Joshua P. Copas previously pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft.
Prosecutors said Copas stole 31 rebate checks issued by Menards between late March and late May 2022 while working his assigned mail route. The checks had a combined value of $4,547.84.
Investigators with the Cumberland Police Department obtained surveillance footage showing Copas cashing one of the stolen checks, which ultimately linked him to the theft of the remaining checks.
Court ruling and restitution
During the sentencing hearing, James D. Peterson, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, said the crime caused two types of harm.
First, the victims suffered direct financial losses after their rebate checks were stolen. Second, the crime undermined public trust in the postal system, which relies on the integrity of its employees.
As part of his sentence, Copas must also pay full restitution of $4,547.84 to the victims whose rebate checks were stolen.
