Former Utah Postal Carrier Indicted After About 300 Mail-In Ballots Allegedly Discarded

Utah — A former U.S. Postal Service letter carrier has been indicted after allegedly throwing away mail that included approximately 300 ballots intended for voters in Utah’s June 23 primary election, according to the Justice Department.

Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, is charged with unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail. A federal grand jury indicted him Sept. 16, and the indictment was unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 22. He was arrested and appeared in federal court that afternoon.

Prosecutors allege that on June 3, Seei was assigned to deliver mail to at least 300 Eagle Mountain residents. The mail included advertisements and ballots sent to registered voters. Instead of delivering some of it, he allegedly put it in a dumpster in a church parking lot.

“Ballot integrity is not a partisan issue,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said in the DOJ release. The release does not say whether affected voters ultimately received replacement ballots or cast votes in the primary.

Seei’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 30. The Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The charges are allegations, and Seei is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.