NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that PJ WHITAKER (“WHITAKER”), age 36, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 7, 2026 to one year of probation by U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. WHITAKER previously pleaded guilty to two counts of destruction of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703.

According to court documents, WHITAKER, while employed as a Postal Service employee, unlawfully opened packages, intended to be conveyed by mail, that had come into his possession while he worked on a Small Parcel and Bundle Sorter.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Christine Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.