A former postal employee is accused of stealing cash and gift cards from mail in Saline County.

Stephen T. Mead, 30, Larned, Kan., is charged with one count of stealing cash and gift cards from the mail while he was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. The crime is alleged to have occurred from November 2010 to January 2011 in Saline County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.