This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A former U.S. Postal Service employee was sentenced Monday to 120 days in jail for stealing letters from the Price Post Office — primarily birthday cards containing cash.
Dakota Craig Pierucci, 22, also must write apology letters to each of his victims, pay $928 in restitution and a $750 fine, ordered 7th District Judge Douglas Thomas.
Pierucci was charged in January with 48 class A misdemeanors, each punishable by up to one year in jail.
In August, Pierucci pleaded guilty to one of the counts and the rest were dismissed.
The thefts occurred between Oct. 1 and Jan. 11 of 2015, according to court documents.
Price police Capt. Bill Barnes has said that his investigators got a tip about the discovery of some stolen birthday cards at Pierucci's home in Wellington.
Working with Wellington police, Price officers went to the residence, where Pierucci — a letter sorter — allegedly confessed after waiving his Miranda rights. He turned over more than 20 cards, along with stolen cash, checks and money orders, Barnes has said.