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Investigative News Releases

Agent arresting suspect Office of Investigations

Working with our Law Enforcement Partners

Our special agents investigate nationwide internal crimes and fraud committed by postal employees and contractors as well as postal employee misconduct. We work with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and local prosecutors across the country to prosecute these crimes. 

In some instances, we uncover much larger criminal activity being carried out by multiple individuals and organizations. In many of these cases, we partner with other federal and local law enforcement agencies to identify and hold responsible those who take advantage of the public’s trust in our postal system.

Below are links to the most recent news releases about our work.

MOST RECENT

Postal Service Employee Is Sentenced for Stealing a Firearm From Mailed Package

Date Released: 12/14/2023
Category: Internal Mail Theft

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A USPS employee was sentenced today for mail theft after stealing a firearm from a mailed package. U.S. District Judge ordered Demarkis Deon Houston, to serve 15 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

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Former Ithaca Postal Employee Sentenced for Stealing Money Orders

Date Released: 12/13/2023
Category: Financial Fraud

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Stephen Perrine was sentenced today to 12 months of probation for stealing money orders from the United States Postal Service. Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement. Perrine previously pled guilty and admitted that while working for the USPS he stole 10 money orders totaling $2,480, by issuing them to himself.

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Fall River Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the Mail and Diverting Packages

Date Released: 12/07/2023
Category: Internal Mail Theft

BOSTON – A Fall River U.S. Postal Service employee has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to obstructing the mail by diverting multiple mail packages in his custody. The employee pleaded guilty to five counts of obstruction of mail. He knowingly obstructed the passage of five packages. Specifically, He drove packages to locations not the delivery addresses. Scanned them to record them as delivered and gave them to someone else. Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the USPS OIG

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Missouri Postal Employee Accused of Stealing from Mail

Date Released: 12/05/2023
Category: Internal Mail Theft

ST. LOUIS – A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Moberly, Missouri has been federally indicted and accused of stealing from the mail. Dawn Dowling, 58, was indicted November 29 on one felony count of embezzlement of mail by a Postal Service employee. The indictment accuses Dowling of taking mail from about July 2023 to August 2023. Dowling appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

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Postal carrier pleads guilty to selling mail key

Date Released: 12/05/2023
Category: Internal Mail Theft

CINCINNATI – A former United States Postal Service employee pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to selling a postal key. Demarco Tapplar admitted to selling a mail arrow key, which is a federal crime. Individuals sought to steal cash and checks from USPS collection boxes by illegally obtaining the postal keys to the boxes. Police recovered a stolen postal key. The next day, the perpetrators of the mail theft obtained a new postal key by purchasing one from Tapplar.

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