Investigative News Releases

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KIERRA BLOUNT, 35, formerly of Stamford and currently residing in Plymouth, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to fraud and mail theft offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, Blount, at times while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, stole mail and obtained stolen mail for the purpose of obtaining checks

BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Inspector was arrested and charged today for allegedly stealing over $330,000 in cash from packages mailed by elderly victims and then laundering the cash and failing to report it to the Internal Revenue Service. The defendant allegedly used the stolen cash to pay for a pool patio and lighting, granite countertop for his outdoor bar, Caribbean cruise expenses and escorts. He also is alleged to have stolen cash from an evidence locker and then blamed a direct report

ST. LOUIS – A mail carrier on Thursday admitted stealing checks from the mail and selling the key that allowed her co-conspirators to steal mail. Cambria M. Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key. Hopkins, a postal carrier based in Clayton, joined a conspiracy to steal mail to obtain personal and business checks, knowing that they would be used to commit fraud.

ST. LOUIS – Four people, including a former U.S. Postal Service employee, have been sentenced for their role in a conspiracy that stole checks from the mail to commit bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Tuesday. The four defendants received sentences of between 12 and 80 months in prison. All have been ordered to pay restitution of $44,135. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier Wynter Hinton to 12 months in prison on August 5.

HOUSTON – A 63-year-old Houston man has agreed to pay $2,053,515 to resolve allegations he submitted false claims to federally funded health care programs for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.