Investigative Case Highlights

In came a trifecta of complaints: a group of companies, a local postmaster, and a U.S. representative all contacted our Hotline to report expensive collectable coins were being stolen from the mail and sold to jewelers and pawn shops in the greater Houston area. With a single coin’s value near $12,000, the total theft to victims surpassed $400,000.

Is serving time in federal prison and a criminal record worth some extra cash? That’s something Postal Service employees must ask themselves as criminal organizations scale up efforts to recruit them to steal financial instruments from the mail. They promise quick, easy cash in exchange for checks, credit cards, debit cards, and other valuables. What follows is a trail of destruction and, inevitably, weighty legal consequences for all involved.

A single complaint to our Hotline began the unravelling: A postal customer in Bethesda, MD, had been expecting a new credit card, only it never arrived. Instead, the card was used in an attempt to withdraw $700 in cash from an ATM in the area. Our special agents took it from there. Expert investigators don’t take isolated complaints at face value — sometimes they’re symptoms of a more complex scheme.

Many contract fraud investigations end up in civil court, and the law allows victims and the government to seek multiple damages under the False Claims Act. The added penalties — sometimes as much as three times the amount defrauded — are meant to act as a deterrent should contractors think about defrauding anyone again.

For most mail carriers in the United States, a career with the Postal Service provides steady income, generous benefits, and a one-of-a-kind connection to the community they serve. However, some squander it all by colluding with criminals who know postal employees are highly desirable prey, given their access to the vast postal network.