Postal worker arrested for stealing drugs

    HOULTON — A Houlton postal worker was arrested Feb. 14 for allegedly stealing prescription pain medications sent in the mail to area veterans.
    Joey Skehan, 57, of Houlton was arrested for stealing drugs (17-A, M.R.S.A Section 1109) by Officer Kristin Calaman of the Houlton Police Department. Skehan is a 32-year veteran of the United States Postal Service and the thefts allegedly occurred at the Houlton Post Office between July and October of 2010. Skehan was charged with five counts of stealing drugs, all of which occurred during times that he was employed as a postal worker. Police have identified three victims — two had PO boxes and one had a rural route box; none were Houlton residents.
    Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin said Skehan was cooperative with police. His arraignment date is set for April 20, 2011. He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail, as he is not considered to be a flight risk.
    “He [Skehan] was approached by Officer [Kris] Calaman as he left the post office after his shift. Joey was asked to come to the police department to answer some questions. He was very willing to come to HPD and never asked why. As they were enroute to HPD, Officer Calaman advised Skehan that he was a suspect in the theft of medications and urged him to tell the truth; the suspect indicated he would. Skehan was read Miranda at HPD,” said Chief Asselin.
    Stealing drugs is a Class C felony. The maximum sentence for the crime exceeds three years, but no more than five years in jail, according to Asselin.
    At the time of his arrest, Skehan was in possession of 26 oxycodone and eight hydrocodone pills that were not his. He was also charged with unlawful possession of a schedule W drug, which is also a Class C felony. The medications belonged to a close family member and were not removed from the post office.
    A Class C felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 fine.
    According to chief Asselin, the thefts were first reported to police in July of 2010. Skehan was a suspect in the thefts since October, according to police. Officer Calaman contacted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service after the local department on Oct. 2, 2010 received a complaint. An agent with the USPS Office of the Inspector General, Jeffrey Taylor, was assigned to the case and worked closely with Officer Calaman to identify a suspect, collect evidence and build a criminal case. Skehan’s activities at the post office, which included cashier duties, were periodically monitored, at an undisclosed location, using video surveillance.
    All of the medications allegedly stolen were hydrocodone. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) mailed the packages to veterans in the Houlton area. They were either mailed from Togus or from a facility in Memphis, Tenn. Once the packages arrived at the post office from the VHA, they would be scanned as being delivered and a notice placed in the addressee’s PO box. The recipient would then take the notice to the service desk and receive his medication, police said.
    “Mr. Skehan arrived for work at approximately 5 a.m. and was in a position to sort the morning’s incoming mail,” Asselin said. “He would observe the packages sent from the VHA, scan them, but not place the notices in the addressee’s PO box. Mr. Skehan would then remove the medications from the post office when he went home at 1:45 p.m.”
    In one instance, Asselin said, Skehan opened a box from the VHA that was to be delivered to a rural route customer and emptied the medication from the bottle. The empty bottle was then placed back in the damaged box and delivered by the carrier.
    “[We] feel the stolen medications were for Mr. Skehan’s personal use and not being diverted to others,” Asselin said.
    Chief Asselin declined to comment on whether or not there would be any federal charges forthcoming or as to Mr. Skehan’s present status as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Chief Asselin praised the Veteran’s Health Administration for their cooperation in this investigation. Chief Asselin also noted that the cooperation received from the U.S. Postal Service was exceptional and instrumental.