A man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to one count of mail theft while he was a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier and was sentenced to four years of probation.

Joshua Copas, 38, of Cumberland, Wisconsin, stole 31 rebate checks worth a total of $4,547 from the Menards chain of home improvement stores.

In June 2022, a woman who was due to receive one of these checks called Menards when it did not arrive in the mail, only to be told that the check had already been spent. The woman, unnamed by the Justice Department, then called the Cumberland Police Department to report the check was stolen.

Investigation into that theft found footage of Copas spending the check.

In addition to probation, Copas will also have to pay back the full amount stolen as restitution. He also is no longer employed by the U.S. Postal Service.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.