Police have accused a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker of stealing more than 7,500 doses of opioids prescribed by the Veterans Affairs program.
The Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina said in a Sept. 3 press release that the 22-year-old worker, Martez Murphy, stole more than 50 VA prescriptions for opioids between July and September this year. The prescriptions amounted to over 7,500 doses.
Police said they arrested Murphy at his home.
“Following a lengthy investigation, and with the assistance of U.S. Postal Service personnel, Martez Murphy was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 2, and a search warrant was executed at his residence in Greensboro,” police said.
Opioids are Schedule II narcotics under the federal government’s list of controlled substances.
Authorities have indicted Murphy on one count of theft of mail matter by employee, a charge which covers anything entrusted to a USPS worker for delivery. Officials said he was released on his own recognizance.
A federal investigation into Murphy’s alleged crimes remains ongoing. If Murphy is convicted, he could face fines and a five-year prison sentence.
VA Opiods Programs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prescribes opioids to veterans across the country to help them manage pain.
It also runs operations to safely reduce the use of these drugs over concerns they are addictive.
It launched the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) in 2013 to curb issues with addiction. This program has achieved a 67% reduction in opioid prescriptions, and the number of veterans prescribed opioids has dropped from a peak of nearly 875,000 to approximately 288,000.
Updated VA guidelines advise against using opioids for chronic pain, instead promoting buprenorphine as a safer alternative.
The bipartisan End Veterans Overdose Act, introduced in early 2026, aims to expand access by offering free over-the-counter naloxone at VA pharmacies without a prescription.
However, veterans advocacy groups warn that abrupt tapering causes psychological distress and drives illicit self-medication.
Other Incidents of Stealing From Veterans
Another individual involved in the postal service was recently accused of stealing from veterans.
Scott Kelley, 52, of Pembroke, Mass., formerly worked at the Boston Division headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
In August, he admitted to stealing over $340,000 in cash from packages that elderly victims of lottery fraud scams had mailed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Massachusetts.
His victims included a 76-year-old retired Army veteran in Kansas, from whom he stole $19,100.
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