ST. LOUIS • A former St. Louis postal worker was sentenced Friday to five months in prison and five months of house arrest for tampering with the mail.

Prosecutors say Thomas T. Riner, 49, of Caseyville, targeted the brightly colored envelopes that often contain greeting cards and cash gifts, and took the cash that he found inside.

Riner was "mining the mail for money," Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Keller said at Riner's November trial. He was nabbed by postal inspectors after the post office received complaints of people who had received cards and letters that had been opened.

Riner, a 24-year veteran of the Postal Service, worked at the main mail sorting center at 1720 Market Street on mail heading to Clayton's 63105 ZIP code, which includes Washington and Fontbonne universities.

At trial, 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 that Riner was only adjusting the envelopes as part of his job.

Riner will also have to pay restitution to victims.