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Pittsburgh Postmaster Accused Of Opening Mail, Threatening Employees

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The postmaster in Pittsburgh has been arrested on charges of opening mail packages allegedly looking for drugs and threatening employees if they told authorities about it.

Officials say Dan Davis is accused of illegally opening express mail packages.

According to the criminal complaint, Davis would run Google searches on the addresses on packages.

If an address came back invalid, he would open the package.

The criminal complaint reports that he claimed he was searching for drugs and money.

"He explained he was looking for drugs. He said where I come from we took drugs off the street," Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said.

Davis is also accused of telling co-workers who saw him opening the packages not to say anything, and, at times, the criminal complaint alleges, he threatened their lives.

"We have four people who provided information that the postal inspector... who we consider to be victims," said Zappala. "He would threaten retribution, 'you're going to lose your job,' one person he said he was going to kill them, other people he'd tell them, 'I'm going to get you.' Presently, there are four employees who are victims of that type of conduct."

Davis did reportedly find drugs but what he did with them remains a mystery.

Zappala said if Davis found meth he would alert a postal inspector, other packages he took to his car.

Davis oversees 40 postal facilities in the Pittsburgh area.

He's charged with opening the packages and witness intimidation.

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