USPS Employees Arrested Over Role in $1.3 Million Fraud & Identity Theft Scheme

The US Attorney’s Office has announced the unsealing of an indictment charge brought against a number of USPS workers for their involvement in an alleged scheme to defraud credit card and financial institutions to the tune of $1.3 million.

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The indictment names a total of 9 people wanted in regard to the the allegations. 4 of the defendants have been arrested in both New York and New Jersey, with 3 of the 4 being employees of the United States Postal Service. The remaining defendants are still at large.

USPS Employees Purchase Luxury Goods With Stolen Credit Cards

The indictment alleges that the scheme involved the USPS employees stealing credit cards and the personally identifiable information necessary to the then pass off to other members of the scheme to purchase luxury goods, which would then by listed on the website luxurysnob.com.

The website was run by one of the defendants and while under the guise of being a personal shopping company, was actually listing products that were acquired using the stolen credit cards.

“These nine defendants, three of which are postal employees, sought to enrich themselves by stealing mail directly from hundreds of postal customers.  They further compounded their crimes by committing identity theft against those customers to facilitate their elaborate scheme to defraud several national financial institutions.“

“Make no mistake, the Postal Inspection Service will not allow thieves, no matter who they are, to use the U.S. Mail to harm postal customers or the financial institutions that serve them.  We are pleased the members of this criminal syndicate have been apprehended and their crime spree brought to an abrupt end.” USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Daniel B. Brubaker

The attorney’s office makes it clear that at this time, everything mentioned is purely allegations and that the defendants will be treated as innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a years-long scheme to manipulate credit card companies and major retailers across New York and New Jersey by stealing credit cards and using those cards to purchase, and subsequently sell, luxury goods.”

“The defendants took advantage of the public trust we place in USPS employees for their own financial gain.  Thanks to the diligence of USPIS, the NYPD, and USPS-OIG, the defendants will now be held accountable for their brazen criminal conduct.”

If the defendants are found to be guilty then they will be looking at lengthy prison sentences for a number of crimes they have alleged to have committed.

You can see a full list of the defendants and their potential prison sentences on the US justice website here.