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.

USPS Workers Charged with Bribery and Mail Theft Linked to Covid Benefits Fraud

Date Released: 08/12/2022

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and...

Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft

Date Released: 08/10/2022

BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to stealing money from the mail. Juan Murillo, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2022. Murillo was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2022. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of...

Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty To Mail Fraud Conspiracy

Date Released: 08/09/2022

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection to the illegal possession of unemployment benefit debit cards issued by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) and Arizona’s Department of Economic Security (DES) — the agencies administer Nevada’s and Arizona’s unemployment insurance program, respectively. According to court documents and admissions made in court, Black — who was employed as a U.S...

Ex-USPS Worker Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Deliver Drugs through Mail

Date Released: 08/05/2022

ATLANTA – Former mail carrier Robert Elliott Sheppard has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges for recruiting fellow mail carriers to deliver packages of controlled substances while he was on disability leave. “Postal carriers occupy a position of trust in our communities and Sheppard violated that trust by exploiting his role as a mail carrier to traffic kilogram amounts of cocaine as well as marijuana,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Sheppard’s conduct is especially egregious...

Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Items from Mail

Date Released: 08/03/2022

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Patrick Ezell, age 51, of Bogalusa, Louisiana pleaded guilty on August 2, 2022 before the Honorable Wendy B. Vitter, U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana, to stealing items from the mail he was entrusted to deliver as a postal employee. Sentencing is set for November 1, 2022. According to documents filed in federal court, Ezell was employed by the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier in Bogalusa when he was...