Investigative News Releases

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.

Union County Man Admits Role in Scheme to Steal Mail, Defraud United States

Date Released: 03/16/2023

Category: Internal Mail Theft

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in a scheme to receive stolen credit cards and pandemic relief debit cards sent through the mail, commit bank fraud, and defraud the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi

U.S. Postal Employee Sentenced to Nine Months for Mail Theft

Date Released: 03/15/2023

Category: Internal Mail Theft

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a former U.S. Postal Service employee to nine months in federal prison for stealing mail. DIAMANTE WILLIAMS, 25, of Chicago was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of mail theft by a U.S. Postal employee in March 2022. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Scott Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Urbana, IL, Women for Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief Funds

Date Released: 03/09/2023

Category: Financial Fraud

URBANA, Ill. – A grand jury returned an indictment on March 8, 2023, against two Urbana, Illinois, women, Tasheena White, 32, of the 2400 block of Goodfield Drive, and Uniqua Whitaker, 26, of the 1200 block of Clifford Drive, charging each with one count of wire fraud related to Paycheck Protection Program loans. Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Surgeon Convicted for Accepting Over $300k in Illicit Payments to Perform Spinal Surgeries at Corrupt Hospital

Date Released: 03/06/2023

Category: Health Care Fraud

LOS ANGELES – An orthopedic surgeon has been found guilty by a federal jury of accepting more than $315,000 in bribes and kickbacks for performing spinal surgeries at a now-defunct Long Beach hospital, the Justice Department announced today. The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.

Former C.O. Sentenced to over Six Years for Smuggling Mailed Drugs into Prison

Date Released: 02/24/2023

Category: Narcotics

NEW BERN, N.C. –Leann Little, 37, of Lumberton, a former correctional officer and postal contractor, was sentenced yesterday to 75 months in prison for drug and money laundering crimes for providing contraband to inmates in North Carolina prisons. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.