New reports have revealed that a previously sealed indictment was opened for the public showing that a postman with the United States Postal Service (USPS) has been charged with unlawful secretion, destruction, and delay of mail after he allegedly — and illegally — threw away mail that he was supposed to deliver, which included 300 mail-in ballots to registered voters located in Utah.
Damon Matai Seei, 34, from Payson, Utah, was officially indicted by a federal grand jury on September 16, 2026. He was taken into custody by local law enforcement and appeared for his arraignment at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter started things off by discussing how Seei violated the confidence of American voters in the election system.
“When American voters lawfully cast their vote, they should feel confident that it is counted,” McCotter said. “Allegedly throwing away hundreds of ballots is a serious federal crime that undermines the integrity of our elections. Ballot integrity is not a partisan issue.” U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak also spoke about how Seei violated Americans’ right to vote by preventing their ballots from being counted.
“When the defendant allegedly threw away the mail he was entrusted to deliver, he also threw away the chance for those citizens to exercise their right to vote,” Holyoak said, according to a report from the Justice Department. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, takes these offenses seriously and will continue to investigate them to ensure justice is served for anyone whose constitutional right to vote has been infringed.”
“Every eligible voter deserves confidence that our elections are lawful, secure, and fair. Homeland Security Investigations supports the integrity of the voting process by working closely with the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and our law enforcement partners to investigate alleged federal criminal violations that may undermine election integrity, including unlawful voting, fraudulent voter registration, false claims of U.S. citizenship, identity fraud, and document fraud,” Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon explained.
“HSI’s mission is to safeguard the homeland by conducting evidence-based, thorough, and impartial investigations. We will continue to follow the facts, uphold the rule of law, and refer criminal violations for prosecutorial review in order to protect the integrity of lawful voting,” he added. U.S. Postal Service Assistant Inspector General of Investigation Robert Kwalwasser said that an employee of the Postal Service is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity.
“Those who destroy mail intended for recipients will be held accountable for their criminal actions. Special agents with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting the integrity of Postal Service operations through thorough investigations and continued collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Kwalwasser continued.
"*" indicates required fields
The court documents state that on June 3, 2026, Seei was working for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier and was supposed to be delivering mail to at least 300 Eagle Mountain, Utah residents. Along with the common advertisements were mail-in ballots, which Seei went on to dispose of by throwing them into a dumpster located in a church parking lot. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video