Gresham, OR (KPTV) -- A woman who has worked for the United States Postal Service for 26 years is now accused of stealing mail from people on her delivery route.
Kathleen Benting, 62, was arrested Wednesday and booked in the Multnomah County Jail on multiple counts of identity theft and mail theft, all felony charges.
Detectives said Benting was stealing coupons that offered customers $10 or $20 to spend in stores including Kohl's, JCPenney, Victoria's Secret and from numerous tobacco companies.
Investigators said she would pretend to be the person listed on the piece of mail and use the coupons.
Police and special agents from the Postal Service were alerted to the thefts when workers at Kohl's became suspicious about the same person using so many coupons.
Police confronted Benting on Wednesday after she left her job at Gresham's post office on West Powell Boulevard. Officers said she was carrying nearly 100 pieces of mail from that day and had nearly 100 more pieces of stolen mail in her car.
Detectives said Benting has had the same delivery route in southwest Gresham for the past 15 years. She was immediately placed on leave from her job at the Postal Service.
Benting was released from jail and is awaiting arraignment.
