A postal employee steals more than 6,000 greeting cards filled with money and checks, according to the records

She has ruined birthdays, weddings and vacations for thousands of Wisconsin residents.

An American Post employee admitted to stealing more than 6,000 greeting cards filled with money and checks while delivering mail to Wauwatosa. Ebony Lavonne Smith, 20, pleaded guilty last week to stealing or receiving stolen mail, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Authorities began investigating Smith after Wauwatosa residents reported in the summer of 2017 that they were not receiving graduation, marriage, birthday and sympathy cards.

On January 25, a greeting card containing $ 20 and an emitter signaling the opening of the envelope were sent to Wauwatosa's address, according to court documents. The map was placed under Smith's itinerary.

During his shift, a supervisor from the USPS saw Smith sift through mail trays and remove several greeting cards. Smith activated the transmitter when she opened the test card as she stood in front of her car, the report says.

The postal agents contacted Smith and found that the $ 20 test card was missing, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. With the money, authorities found 31 greeting cards in Smith's vehicle. Another 23 cards and a Starbucks gift card were found in his USPS vehicle.

Smith returned the $ 20 and later admitted to stealing the cards so he could use the money found to pay his bills and take care of his four children. She said that she would steal cards one to two days a week, earning $ 50 to $ 100. She allegedly closed some of the envelopes.

In July, a car registered in Smith was in a vehicle recovery yard containing 6,625 greeting card envelopes and 540 personal checks dated between March 2017 and January 2018. Another 45 cards were not opened.

It is unclear whether residents were reimbursed for the stolen money or received the cards after Smith was caught.