LOWELL, MASS. (WHDH) - A Lowell postal worker pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Boston to attempting to bribe a supervisor and sell them cocaine, according to US District Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins.

John Noviello, 61, of Nashua, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public officials and one count of distribution of cocaine. He will be sentenced on Feb. 14, 2023.

Noviello was a mail carrier for USPS in Lowell. On Feb. 15, Noviello approached a supervisor and asked them to help him with a scheme to divert mail packages suspected to contain cocaine. He offered to pay the supervisor $1,750 per kilogram of cocaine obtained from any diverted packages. Two days later, he left $850 inside a Dunkin’ bag inside the supervisor’s car in an attempt to get the supervisor to agree to the scheme. Noviello allegedly said that cash “was a nice envelope for starters.”

The supervisor contacted authorities and conducted a controlled purchase from Noviello. During that purchase, he distributed about 3.7 grams of cocaine for $200.

Noviello could face up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for the bribery charges and up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million for the cocaine distribution charges.

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