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.

Airlines to Pay $5.8 Million to Settle Allegations of Falsely Reporting Delivery Times of U.S. Mail

Date Released: 11/13/2018

The Justice Department announced today that British Airways Plc (BA) and Iberia Airlines (Iberia) have agreed to pay $5.8 million to resolve their liability under the False Claims Act for falsely reporting the times they transferred possession of United States mail to foreign postal administrations or other intended recipients under contracts with the United States Postal Service (USPS). This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the USPS Office of the...

Four South Florida Residents Convicted and Sentenced for Narcotics Importation and Distribution Ring

Date Released: 10/22/2018

On Friday, October 19, 2018, the last of four defendants was sentenced for his role in a narcotics importation and distribution ring, operating in Miami-Dade and Osceola Counties, involving an analogue of the powerful opioid fentanyl, as well as n-ethylpentalone. Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Christopher Cave, Special Agent in...

Post Office Employee Sentenced in Mail Theft Scheme

Date Released: 10/11/2018

Erie County (NY) District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that Jeffrey Watkins, Jr., 29, of Buffalo has been sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski to 6 months in jail followed by five years’ probation. He was also ordered to repay $ 31,114.43 in restitution upon his release. Watkins and his two co-defendants pleaded guilty to various charges in July 2018 for their involvement in cashing checks that were stolen from mailboxes in the areas of Walden Avenue, Pine Ridge Road...

Jamaican National Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Bribery

Date Released: 10/04/2018

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Damion Christopher Alexander Brown, 43, a Jamaican national residing in Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and bribery of a public official, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Murray and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Bonanno and Wei Xiang, who handled...

Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bribing a Postal Employee

Date Released: 09/19/2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mark Shankle, 28, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for paying a bribe to a public official, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. Shankle was indicted in March and pleaded guilty on June 11, 2018. According to court documents, in December 2017 Shankle approached an employee of the United States Postal Service in Joelton, Tennessee and solicited his assistance in receiving a shipment of steroids. Shankle...