RICHMOND, Va. — Video obtained by CBS 6 shows dozens of pieces of mail, including bills, cards, and tax documents, discovered dumped in trash cans behind Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Richmond.
The incident is now being investigated by the Postal Inspection Service.
A church worker went outside to check on the trash when he found stacks of mail bound by rubber bands, discarded in two separate trash cans.
Among the items found were bills and important tax documents.
Upon discovering the mail, church staff contacted the post office, and J.J. Minor with the Richmond NAACP.
"It's crazy. I've never seen anything like this," Minor said. "You're talking about medicine, checks, cards, bills, W-2 forms... unbelievable."
Minor, a nearby resident, has been without mail for several days.
Watch: Two trash cans full of undelivered mail found in Richmond
Andrea Seward, a church staff member, expressed her disbelief regarding the situation.
"We had issues with not getting a lot of mail during the month of January," she said. "Now, we know it's been dumped somewhere."
CBS 6 was the only news station present when postal inspectors arrived to collect the abandoned mail for their investigation.
"My biggest concern is that this has probably been going on for a while, or either someone new is on this route who got lazy and didn't want to deliver the mail," Minor said.
CBS 6 voiced the community's concerns to U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, who urged residents to report any information to his office.
Postal inspectors are actively investigating the case and indicated that the missing mail would likely be delivered later Tuesday or Wednesday.
Minor insisted on accountability for the incident.
Tampering with mail is a federal crime that can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and substantial fines.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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