Andrew Allen Rimes says he fell asleep in his car the day he was supposed to deliver more than 1,000 pieces of mail.
When he woke up around 2:30 or 3 p.m., he "panicked," and instead of delivering the mail, he dumped some of it in the woods along 20 Mile Level Road in Land O' Lakes and hid the rest in a storage shed.
This morning, the 23-year-old Port Richey man was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years of probation for delaying, detaining or destroying mail.
Rimes was working as a temporary relief carrier on Aug. 28, 2006. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Monk said that before Rimes fell asleep, he rifled through the mail and removed packages containing prescription drugs and other items.
"I'm really sorry for what I've done," Rimes said before he was sentenced. "I intended no harm to anybody, and I'm really trying to move on with my life."
U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara expressed concern about Rimes' background of sexual offenses committed as a juvenile.
Public defender Adam Tanenbaum said Rimes was abused by his father as a child.
Lazzara ordered Rimes to receive mental health treatment for sexual offenders as part of his probation and directed that he have no contact with minors without written permission.
As the judge imposed these conditions, Rimes began to weep.
"I was told that once I was done with the sexual charges, it was over," he said. "They wouldn't be brought up again."
The judge said he's allowed to consider the "history and characteristics of a defendant" when imposing sentence.
"Your honor, I understand I made some mistakes," Rimes said. "But I have to be punished twice for the same thing? I don't understand."
"It's part of your life," the judge said. "What I don't understand is why in the world the United States Postal Service gave you a job."
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