A former U.S. mailman who was filmed dumping letters into the woods near the Longview Walk subdivision has been charged.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ex-Letter Carrier Thomas Beaurem of McDonough,  Ga., has pleaded not guilty to a charge of unlawfully delaying and destroying mail. He was arraigned on Dec. 19.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that on Oct. 18 the U.S. Postal Service was notified that “there appeared to be a significant quantity of undelivered mail in a wooded area in Decatur.

“United States Postal Service investigators located the area and found approximately 4,500 pieces of mail, some with cancellation dates as early as Oct. 5, 2016,” a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. “Some of the correspondence was too badly damaged to deliver. Beaurem was allegedly responsible for the delivery of the recovered items. The mail that was in deliverable condition has since been delivered to its intended recipients by the Postal Service.”

The U.S. Postal Service also weighed in.

“The overwhelming majority of Postal Service employees are honest and dedicated public servants who are worthy of our trust,” U.S. Postal Service inspector Paul L. Bowman said in the press release. “However, when we receive allegations of mail delay or destruction, our agency will aggressively investigate these matters to protect the overall integrity of the Postal Service.”

The case – and the video of the worker dumping the mail – made local headlines in October.

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