DETROIT -- A former postal carrier accused of hoarding more than 9,000 pieces of mail over the past three years has turned herself in, said a spokesman for the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service.

WDIV-TV Channel 4 reported that ex-carrier Jill Hull turned herself in Wednesday morning, was charged with theft of mail and released on personal bail, spokesman Breck Nowlin said.

The charge is a five-year felony.

More than 9,000 pieces of mail were discovered in a storage unit in Fowlerville, stashed there by Hull, the OIG’s office announced Tuesday.

Some of the mail had postmarks from 2005.

Hull was a carrier for three and a half years. She resigned Aug. 16.

According to court documents, Hull fell behind on payments for the storage space, which resulted in the space being opened and the loads of mail being discovered.

"When asked why she did it, Hull stated that she could not do the job but needed the job," stated court documents filed in federal court in Detroit.

Hull could not be reached for comment. A phone number listed for her was disconnected.

Hull was unable to deliver mail on time, so she left what she could not deliver in her car, court documents explain.

Once mail started to accumulate, Hull began to stash the mail in the storage unit, according to the documents.

Records show Hull made payments on the storage unit from January 2006 through November 2007.

The mail was originally kept as evidence, but is in the process of being returned with a letter from the OIG’s office with a contact number for anyone who suffered a hardship or loss due to the crime, Nowlin said.

A postal spokesman, Ed Moore, said the case is a "black eye" for carriers who faithfully deliver mail.

"The sanctity of the mail is important to us and the American public," he said.