SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento postal worker is facing federal charges for allegedly withholding hundreds of pieces of political mail before the November election, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Antoine Rashad Polite, 35, was charged with delaying and obstructing the delivery of U.S. mail. He worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Sacramento County.
According to court documents, Polite improperly withheld and delayed the delivery of hundreds of pieces of political mail between Sept. 23, 2026, and Oct. 27, 2026. The mail was intended for residents on his assigned route.
The investigation started after postal management found approximately 493 pieces of political mail in an area designated for undeliverable bulk business mail. The mail had valid, deliverable addresses on Polite’s route.
Investigators later found an additional 527 pieces of political mail that had not been delivered. The mail was discovered in undeliverable mail containers and inside Polite’s assigned postal vehicle.
Many of the pieces had addresses marked through with notations indicating they were vacant or undeliverable. Postal officials determined the addresses were valid and deliverable.
The withheld mail included campaign materials for candidates and ballot propositions on the Nov. 3, 2026, California general election ballot. Postal officials recovered and delivered the vast majority of the mail to their intended recipients.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Khasigian is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Polite faces a maximum of 6 months in prison for obstruction of mail and 1 year in prison for delay or destruction of mail. The charges are only allegations, and Polite is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.