Wilmette Mail Carrier Under Investigation For Elder Abuse

WILMETTE, IL — A Wilmette mail carrier is under investigation after the children of an 89-year-old resident reported witnessing possible elder abuse on security cameras, according to police and postal service inspectors.

On Sept. 7, a United States Postal Service employee entered the elderly woman's home, hugged and kissed her and told her that he loved her, according to Wilmette police.

The 89-year-old suffers from a fragile mental condition, is not capable of making decisions on her own and lives with a caretaker 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday, her family told police. But that Saturday, she was home alone.

One of the woman's children told police an in-law found the mail carrier in her kitchen a few weeks earlier. The USPS employee gave "some excuse" and left. He was later told by a family member not to enter the house again, according to police.

Their elderly mother had complained about the particular mail carrier in the past, but the children were not sure exactly why, police said. They could not be sure whether the Sept. 7 incident was the first inappropriate contact between their mom and the mailman.

The encounter was captured on several cameras placed outside and inside the Wilmette home.

"There she is," the letter carrier says, with what appeared to be mail in his hand. Police said he asks the woman if she was "here by herself today" and asks "who is that lady that was here?"

Once the woman tells him that her caretaker and family were not there — that she was home alone — the mailman opens the door and comes inside. The elderly resident neither invited him in nor seemed concerned about him coming inside, police said.

Once inside, they speak for a time, before the carrier embraces and begins kissing the woman. He speaks to her about talking to a lawyer regarding her living situation and about the woman's caretaker, according to a police account of a conversation described as barely audible.

"I love you," he says, after hugging her, according to the video.

"I love you too," she responds, and they kiss again. After more conversation about a lawyer and the woman's caregiver, the mail carrier again embraces her and tells her he loves her before leaving.

One of the woman's children told police the mail carrier should not be allowed to deliver her mail or return to her house.

"At the very least it's highly inappropriate and constitutes official misconduct," police were told.

Postal inspectors took over the investigation last month, according to a statement provided on behalf of the Wilmette Police Department.

"The relationship between the resident and postal carrier and the postal carrier's actions continue to be investigated by the US Postal Inspectors," it said. "The Postal carrier was removed from delivering mail and we have received no information to indicate there was a threat to the general public."

In response to a public records request, the United State Postal Inspection Service said no records of any investigation of wrongdoing of Wilmette letter carriers could be released without the permission of the mail carriers themselves, finding there was insufficient public benefit from disclosing any such records.

Julie Kenney, a USPIS spokesperson, provided the following statement:

"The Postal Inspection Service is aware of the allegations against a Wilmette letter carrier and is investigating the matter. If anyone is aware of misconduct of a Postal Service employee while performing official postal duties in that area, please contact the Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and say "Law Enforcement". Use case 2892577 number as reference. No other information can be shared at this time."