The US Postal Service lost an additional $385 million in April according to preliminary financial reports filed yesterday with the Postal Regulatory Commission. That brings the year to date deficit to $2.7 billion. At this point last fiscal year, the service’s net loss was just $22 million.

Mail volume was down across all classes, with first class down over a billion pieces from 2008, a drop of 12.3%. Advertising volumes were down by almost a billion and a half pieces, or 17.8%. Similar declines were seen in package shipping services. Periodical volumes were off by 6.8% from the prior year. The drop in total mail volume was 14.8%, which resulted in a revenue decline of 11.9% for the month.

The postal service reduced non-personnel expenses by 11.3% from April a year ago, but salaries and benefits, which account for the bulk of the agency’s costs, were down by just 4.3%. For the fiscal year to date, total expenses are down by just 3% from 2008, while total operating revenue is down 8.8%.

Postal Inspection Service sources say that an armed perpetrator robbed the Ampere Station, 75 4th Ave, East Orange, NJ at around 8:15 this morning. There were no injuries. More details as they become available.

The following information was released by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana:

MICHAEL COLEMAN, age 35, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, pled guilty today in front of United States District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman to a one count bill of information for theft of government funds, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, in May, 2008, MICHAEL COLEMAN, who was previously employed as a letter carrier at the Main Post Office in Gretna, Louisiana, admitted that he found and stole six blank postal money orders at the post office. According to court documents, these postal money orders were “bait” money orders, meaning they were money orders that could be tracked upon their usage by the United States Postal Service. After stealing the six postal money orders, COLEMAN deposited one of them in his personal bank account, gave some of them to his family members, and sold the rest. In all, the bait postal money orders were worth $1,215. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 20, 2009.

The single count carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment, three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

The case was investigated by agents from the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Matt Chester.