Pewaukee Post Office drama could lead to criminal charge against employee
Steven MartinezVILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE - Police have launched an investigation into a threatening letter received by a local post office employee that could result in a criminal charge against one of the employee's co-workers.
Investigators are seeking a DNA sample from the postal employee through a search warrant. The employee has denied writing the letter, which contained a death threat, and refused to provide a voluntary DNA sample to compare to the envelope containing the letter.
Three other postal employees, all possible suspects, provided DNA samples.
According to the warrant's affidavit, the employee who did not provide DNA acknowledged being upset that the letter's recipient had received a clerk position in the Pewaukee office three years ago. A week before the letter was delivered the suspect filed a complaint — later determined to be unfounded — that alleged the letter's recipient and a third postal employee had a sexual relationship.
The typewritten letter read, in part, that the recipient was "a horrible co-worker, that no one likes her, and that if she did not change her attitude the author of the letter was going to slowly kill her and her daughter," according to the affidavit.
The letter indicated the recipient had five days "to be good to everybody" or the author was going to "ruin her life." The letter also said the author knew where the recipient lived, where she worked and about her family.
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The recipient told police that she found the letter in her P.O. box, which all postal employees can access, on Oct. 9.
Lake Country Now is not naming any of the individuals involved in the investigation because no criminal charges have been filed as of Nov. 16.
According to the affidavit, the author of the letter could face a charge of making threats to convey derogatory information, a Class I felony.
The maximum penalty for that crime is 3½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.