SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Stephen Perrine, age 40, of King Ferry, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to stealing money orders from the United States Postal Service (USPS). United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement. 

In pleading guilty, Perrine admitted that while working for the USPS in Ithaca, New York, he stole ten money orders totaling $2,480, by issuing them to himself and entering fraudulent justifications in an USPS accounting system. For example, Perrine admitted that he stole and cashed a $400 money order on or about September 13, 2022, and that he documented the money order as having been issued as payment for “local transport.” Similarly, Perrine admitted that on November 15, 2022, he stole and cashed a $200 money order, which he fraudulently documented as having been issued as payment for “office supplies.” Perrine resigned his position with the USPS after he was charged criminally in this case. As part of his plea agreement, Perrine agreed to pay full restitution of $2,480 to the USPS.

The charges to which Perrine pled guilty carry a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Perrine will be sentenced on December 13, 2023, by United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks, who presides over the case.

USPS-OIG is the investigative agency, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry is prosecuting the case.