BANGOR – A former postal employee Monday waived indictment and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to stealing mail over a three-year period from people on her rural route in Franklin.

Angela I. Young, 34, of Eastbrook, admitted taking more than $500 in cash and retail gift cards from mail sent for birthdays and other celebrations observed by residents to whom she delivered mail from September 1999 through August 2005.

She faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. She also could be ordered to pay restitution to her victims.

A sentencing date has not been set.

Young is free on personal recognizance bail pending the outcome of her case.

An investigation of Young’s activities, according to court documents, began in June 2005 when a person on her postal route complained to a supervisor that the family was not receiving cards other family members said they had sent. A postal inspector prepared a test card with $6 in it and mailed it. When he checked with the customer, the inspector was told the card had not been received.

In August 2005, a second test letter containing $8 was sent, according to the prosecution’s version of events. The postal inspector watched as Young collected it with the rest of her mail, then watched as she placed mail in the box of the customer it was addressed to.

The inspector then examined the mail Young put in the box and saw that the test card had not been delivered, according to court documents. At first Young denied knowing anything about missing mail, but allowed the postal inspector to search her vehicle.

Inside, there were 11 cards and letters addressed to people on her route, according to court documents. Some of them had been torn into pieces. The inspector also found a prepaid calling card and six retail gift cards valued at more than $100.

Young admitted that she had been taking two to three cards per month from her mail patrons for about three years, according to the prosecution version to which she pleaded guilty.