A former Missoula postal worker, 40 year-old Lassana Diaby, admitted in Missoula Federal Court on Wednesday that he stole gift cards from a birthday card and cashed them for his own use.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston heard Diaby’s confession after he was charged with theft of mail by an officer or employee. He could face a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

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Sentencing for Diaby was set for June 1 before U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen.

In March of 2021, a post office customer reported that the items were stolen from a birthday card. The sender confirmed that the card contained a $200 gift card from Costco, two $100 Amazon gift cards and $40 in cash.

The statement says Diaby presented his own Costco membership card and the stolen gift card for a purchase at the Missoula Costco store.

The press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office stated that the court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

He was released pending further court proceedings.

 The information in this story was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.

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