A Homosassa Post Office worker was arrested on Jan. 27 following complaints from several postal patrons their property had been stolen or was missing.

Arrested was Ruth Paris Riggeal, 50, of 221 W. Sugarmaple Lane in Beverly Hills.

The arrest wrapped up the investigation of three separate incidents reported to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

In one incident, a Sheriff's Office detective received a complaint from a woman on Jan. 5 that gift cars she had mailed to Illinois had been stolen. The woman also said that she later discovered the gift cards had been used, one of which was at the Inverness Wal-Mart. The other card was also used, but it is unknown where it was redeemed, the arrest report says.

The woman was able to provide receipts from when she mailed the package and from purchasing the gift cards.

On Jan. 12, a couple reported that a $9,000 Rolex watch they had mailed from a jewelry store using a post office service from Homosassa never arrived at its destination. The couple also produced receipts showing the watch was sent out and the watch insured for $4,000.

Another patron contacted the Sheriff's Office on Jan. 12, and reported the theft of gift cards valued at $400 which had been mailed to New York from the Homosassa post office. He was also able to produce a receipt for his mailing of the package and a receipt from when he purchased the cards.

In all instances, the arrest report says, the transaction was processed by Riggeal.

During the investigation, the Sheriff's Office was able to review a video of Riggeal placing items on a shelf next to her, then placing the packages in the trash can near her work station and then removing the packages from the trash.

After being read her rights, Riggeal admitted to stealing the items and taking some perfume (which had not been reported). She also said she gave some gift cards to her daughter's boyfriend, and that the boyfriend didn't know they were stolen.

The arrest report also says Riggeal said she still had the Rolex watch the attic at her Beverly Hills home, and said that she was going to wait a year or so until the theft investigation died down, and then was going to sell it on eBay.

She said that other gift cards were at her father's home, also in Beverly Hills. She had three gift cards in her purse, the arrest report says, and that she said she took between $500 and $1,000 in funds from the Homosassa post office.

She was taken to her home, where deputies found the watch that had the jewelry store's paperwork inside the box, as well as several gift cards.

Riggeal was taken to the Citrus County Jail, where she was charged with scheming to defraud.

Bond was set at $5,000.