Thomas T. Riner, 49, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 24 years, was sentenced Friday to five months in federal prison and five months of house arrest for mail tampering.

Prosecutors said that Riner, of Caseyville, opened brightly colored envelopes to look for money in greeting cards. He worked at the main sorting center at 1720 Market Street on mail heading to Clayton's 63105 ZIP code, which includes Washington and Fontbonne universities.

At trial last year, jurors convicted Riner of five counts of "delay or destruction of mail" and acquitted him on one count of stealing money from the mail and four other delay or destruction charges.

Riner and his lawyer, J. Martin Hadican, denied any theft, saying the worker was only adjusting the envelopes as part of his job.