PITTSBURGH — The city’s postmaster has been charged with threatening to retaliate against employees if they reported seeing him opening express mail parcels and removing the illegal drugs they contained.
Employees told a customer service manager that Pittsburgh Postmaster Daniel Davis was opening packages, taking out drugs and resealing the packages, according to five criminal complaints filed by the Allegheny County district attorney’s office. Davis told workers to be on the lookout for parcels from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington state, the complaints said.
When the manager asked why, Davis replied, “Where I came from, this is what we do,” according to the complaints.
Davis, of Canonsburg, is charged with intimidating witnesses and official oppression. He transferred to Pittsburgh from Toledo, Ohio, and was appointed acting postmaster in February 2014. He became the permanent postmaster in August 2014.
According to the criminal complaints, David also told employees not to speak with investigators. He described himself to one as “ruthless” and said, “I will kill you,” the complaints said.