Hardin man sentenced to federal prison

A former U.S. Postal Service highway contract route driver from Hardin County was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to 33 months in federal prison followed by a term of three years supervised release, for theft of mail and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.

According to information presented at sentencing, Joshua Wayne Salsman, 32, of Hardin County, while employed as a postal highway contract route driver in the Meade County area was arrested July 5, 2012, following an investigation into numerous mailed letters containing gift cards and prescription drugs that were missing.

Salsman pleaded guilty to four charges in a six count federal superseding indictment on Oct. 25. According to the plea agreement, from April through May 2012, Salsman stole greeting cards and gift cards from an authorized mail route. Salsman also admitted that from January through April, he stole prescription drugs from an authorized mail route originating from the Louisville V.A. Hospital. Salsman also admitted that from January through April 2012, he knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute oxycodone in a prescription form that was stolen from the mail.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Micah R. Reyner and was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.