postal_truck_web_fc.jpgPHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A Philadelphia postal carrier has been sentenced to probation after admitting he stored more than 12,000 pieces of undelivered mail in his garage.

Forty-two-year-old David Blauser pleaded guilty Thursday to a single count of willfully obstructing the passage of mail. A federal judge immediately sentenced him to three years' probation, community service and a $500 fine.

Blauser was charged Monday. According to court documents, he began stashing the mail in 1997 and added to the pile whenever he found himself unable to keep up.

Authorities say Blauser's wife discovered the 12,808 pieces of undelivered mail in April and reported it to the postal service.

It took three mail trucks to remove the mail from the home. It was all eventually delivered.