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.

Former postal employee pleads guilty to theft of public money

Date Released: 12/13/2021

HOUSTON – A 35-year-old Houston resident has admitted to four counts of theft of public money, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Tranese Nicole Mitchel was formerly employed as a lead sales and service clerk with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Houston. Today, she admitted she issued fraudulent refunds by creating no-fee postal money orders She then cashed against her drawer at the post office where she worked. Mitchell fraudulently issued and cashed a total of $29,947.30. She...

Former USPS Employee Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Federal Prison for Mail Theft

Date Released: 12/13/2021

A former postal employee who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of checks from the mail was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison. Amy Jurisic, age 38, currently of Carterville, Georgia, and previously from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 14, 2021 guilty plea to one count of mail theft. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Jurisic worked as a postal clerk for the Dubuque Post Office in 2017 and 2018. Starting in June 2017 and lasting...

Owner of Local Compounding Pharmacies Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Health Care Fraud

Date Released: 12/10/2021

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Southern California man who owned and operated two local compounding pharmacies was sentenced to federal prison today for evading the payment of approximately $5.5 million in personal income taxes and submitting false reimbursement claims to CVS Caremark, a national pharmacy benefit manager. Matthew Hogan Peters, 38, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Peters was also ordered to pay more than $3,441,263 million in restitution to...

Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Mail Theft

Date Released: 12/10/2021

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing mail containing gift cards and cash. Brian Thibodeau, 49, of Danvers, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to one year of probation. Thibodeau was also ordered to pay a fine of $7,500 and restitution in the amount of $175. On Aug. 5, 2021, Thibodeau pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Acting United States...

Pharmacist and Two Pharmacies Agree to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims

Date Released: 12/08/2021

Riad “Ray” Zahr, a pharmacist in Dearborn, Michigan, along with two specialty pharmacies that Zahr formerly owned and operated, have agreed to pay the United States $1 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims for the drug Evzio. Evzio was an injectable form of naloxone hydrochloride indicated for use to reverse opioid overdose. Evzio was the highest-priced version of naloxone on the market, and insurers frequently required the submission of prior authorization requests...