A former CT mail carrier was observed stealing packages. A judge delivered a 1-year prison sentence.

A Connecticut man was sentenced Thursday to a year in federal prison for stealing mail while he was a U.S. Postal Service carrier, officials said.

Shawn R. Fuller, 37, of West Haven was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee on Feb. 16, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Fuller was under investigation for stealing mail packages while he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier in Meriden, court records show.

On April 17, 2023, an investigator reportedly observed Fuller opening two mail packages at the post office in Meriden. According to court records, he removed two items from the packages, placed them in the trunk of his car and notified his supervisors he had to leave work for the day.

Officers from the Hamden Police Department subsequently stopped Fuller’s car. “After a police K-9 alerted officers to the possible presence of narcotics, a search of the trunk of the car revealed approximately four kilograms of a substance containing cocaine,” officials said. Fuller was then placed under arrest.

Fuller, who is currently released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Aug. 20, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.