Florida Rural Letter Carrier Convicted of Workers Comp Fraud
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Former postal employee, Jacquelyn V. Myers, 55, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday of healthcare fraud and making false statements to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.
Evidence presented at the two-day jury trial established that, while claiming she was physically unable to fulfill her responsibilities as a rural letter carrier with the Postal Service, Myers competed in more than 80 athletic events in Florida and Georgia. Although she claimed that she could only handle “light duty” in her government job, Myers was competing in 5K races, 10K races, triathlons, and marathons, including the Boston Marathon, which she ran in April 2010.
In May 2009, Myers reported that she had suffered a lower back injury during the annual letter carriers’ food drive. As a result, she was relieved of the letter carrying duties for which she had been hired, and placed on “light duty.” Between June and December of 2009, Myers told her treating physicians and physical therapists that her back injury had not improved, and that she was unable to twist and bend at the waist – activities associated with the delivery of mail. Photographs and videotapes taken during the same period show Myers running barefoot on gravel in a cross-country event, and swimming, cycling, and running in a triathlon. Evidence at trial demonstrated that Myers’ race times actually improved over those recorded prior to her reported date of injury.
The defendant faces maximum sentences of five years in prison for false statements and ten years in prison for healthcare fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 25, 2012, at 11:00 a.m., before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, whose investigation led to the convictions.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Coody.
USPS Modeled Processing Network, Phase 1 List Of Facilties
USPS Modeled Processing Network, Phase 1, May 17, 2012
Sen. Carper Reacts to PMG’s Announcement on Further Cost-Cutting Measures
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service and co-author of the 21st Century Postal Service Act, released the following statement reacting to the Postmaster General’s announcement that the Postal Service would begin closing select mail processing centers in an effort to save approximately $1.2 billion annually:
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“Today’s announcement comes a week after the Postal Service announced that it lost a staggering $3.2 billion in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2012. In fact, the Postal Service is hemorrhaging money at a rate of at least $25 million a day and is on track to lose far more over the course of this fiscal year. Given these dire circumstances it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Postmaster General is moving forward to reduce costs with the limited tools at his disposal, but the reality is that efforts of this scale are not enough to fundamentally fix the Postal Service’s financial problems.
“For example, today’s proposal does not address the Postal Service’s two upcoming payments of $5.5 billion for its future retiree healthcare fund, its past overpayments of $11 billion into the Federal Employee Retirement System, or the need to significantly downsize the postal workforce. Only comprehensive, long-term reform of the Postal Service can address these and other serious issues facing this American institution, and that reform can only come from Congress. The Senate has recognized that need and last month passed a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that would modernize the Postal Service, allowing it to right-size and become competitive in the 21st Century. Now it’s up to the House to pass a bill. In the three weeks since the Senate acted, the Postal Service has lost over $500,000,000 – already wiping out nearly half of the savings today’s plan would achieve annually. Clearly, the Postal Service can’t afford to wait any longer for Congress to pass a comprehensive plan. I hope that my colleagues in the House will recognize the urgency of this situation and announce when they intend to act to save the Postal Service.”
USPS Moves Ahead with Modified Network Consolidation Plan
9-Month Implementation; $1.2 Billion in Cost Reductions
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced plans to move ahead with a modified plan to consolidate its network of 461 mail processing locations in phases. The first phase of activities will result in up to 140 consolidations through February of 2013. Unless the circumstances of the Postal Service change in the interim, a second and final phase of 89 consolidations is currently scheduled to begin in February of 2014.
“We revised our network consolidation timeline to provide a longer planning schedule for our customers, employees and other stakeholders, and to enable a more methodical and measured implementation,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the Postal Service.
“We simply do not have the mail volumes to justify the size and capacity of our current mail processing network. To return to long-term profitability and financial stability while keeping mail affordable, we must match our network to the anticipated workload,” said Donahoe. “Our current plan meets our cost reduction goals, ensures seamless and excellent service performance throughout the implementation period, and provides adequate time for our customers to adapt to our network changes.” Read more
USPS Release POStPlan FAQs
USPS has released Frequently asked Questions (FAQS) for HR Related POStPlan and POStPlan Questions.
USPS Postplan FAQ 05.15.12 (1)
Here is the second POStplan FAQ
USPS Postplan FAQ Internal HR 05.15.12
USPS Announces ‘Modified Consolidation Plan’; Implementation to Begin This Summer, No Specifics Provided
The USPS notified the APWU [PDF] today, May 16, that it has developed a modified network consolidation plan and, “Now that the moratorium has expired, consolidation activities will begin this summer.” However, postal managers did not provide the union with a list of which facilities would be affected and when. The information will be made available to the union on May 17, in advance of the public release, the letter says.
The USPS letter, which was faxed to the union at approximately 3 p.m., says that postal managers will begin giving “stand-up talks” to employees on Tour 3 on May 16. Copies of the service talks [PDF] were provided.
APWU President Cliff Guffey said, “The Postal Service’s actions are the best evidence there is that union members must contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to address postal reform immediately, using the recently-approved Senate bill as a starting point for discussion.”
Fall Break, Service Changes
There will be a break in consolidation activities from September through December for the election and holiday mailing seasons, the letter says. Following the break, the first phase of consolidations will resume in January 2013. Phase two will be completed by the end of 2014.
The letter says that a new, interim regulation to modify existing Service Standards for overnight delivery will be introduced that “will shrink the geographic reach of overnight service to local areas.
“This new interim Service Standard will enable consolidating activity in 2013, and will be replaced with a permanent Service Standard for overnight delivery in 2014.”
The stand-up talks say that “Actions taken will comply with collective bargaining agreements, Postal Service regulations and policies, and other applicable law.” It also says, “The Postal Service is working with its unions regarding an employee incentive offer and will announce details when final decisions are made,” but the USPS and APWU have not been negotiating about incentives, Guffey said.
The talk for employees who interact with customers says, “Some consolidation activities will begin this summer, but there will be no facilities closures this summer.” The other talks do not include this language, nor does the letter to the APWU. (In fact, the stand-up talks for other employees refer to “closing facility.”)
“The Postal Service’s plans seem to be in constant flux,” Guffey said. “I hope members of Congress are paying attention. They must act quickly to prevent a severe degradation of service and massive cutbacks in the mail processing network.”
Congressman Issa Having Trouble Getting GOP Support for His Postal Reform Bill
Congressman Darrell Issa and Congressman Dennis Ross has said H.R. 2309 is the only bill that will save the Postal Service. But it looks like no else is buying that story: From National Journal via PostCom.org
National Journal: Republican leaders appear unable to muster votes for their preferred version-from House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif.-but they are so far also unwilling to take up an alternative that the Senate passed last month with support from both parties. Without enactment of an overhaul bill, the self-supporting agency, which announced a $3.2 billion loss last quarter, has said it will default this fall on payments it owes. Working from that timeline, House Republicans are assuming that their real deadline to take action will come in August or later. House GOP leaders say they want to move Issa’s bill. “The postal service needs more meaningful reform than the Senate bill provides,” Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said. “They don’t even have enough Republican support,” said, Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee that oversees the postal service. Lynch, a supporter of postal unions that oppose the collective-bargaining changes in Issa’s bill, said Republicans will eventually have to bring up the Senate-passed bill and try to amend it. Not yet ready to concede that necessity, House Republicans appear stalled. They have placed no postal legislation on the House floor this week, and the chamber will be in recess starting this weekend and will not vote again until May 30. That means there will be no House action on a bill until June at the earliest.
National Journal via Postcom.org
Postal Supervisor Who Feigned Attack Admits Making False Statements To Postal Inspectors
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Greensburg, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of false statements, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Jeffrey Allen Gogets, 51, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Alan C. Bloch.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Gogets was a supervisor at the Jeanette, Pa., Post Office. On April 18, 2011, Gogets staged an assault and robbery on his person while on postal property. The assault and robbery never occurred. Gogets self-inflicted a wound to his head. Based upon the feigned injury, Gogets was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital. Gogets received $8,578.94 in healthcare and workers compensation benefits. On April 19, 2011, Gogets made false statements about the assault and robbery to United States Postal Inspectors who were investigating the incident.
Judge Bloch scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6, 2012, at 11:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Gogets on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gogets.
Senator Carper: The Costs of Inaction On Reforming USPS
Since the Senate Passed Comprehensive Postal Reform, the Postal Service has Lost
$475,002,150 and more
while the U.S. House has Failed to Act
As we learned this week, the Postal Service is moving forward with cutting hours at post offices and offering retirement incentives for some postal workers across the country. Rather than forcing the Postal Service to continue to rely on these sorts of piecemeal, stopgap measures to cut costs, Congress must work to enact comprehensive reform that provides the tools and resources the Postal Service needs to survive in the 21st Century. The Senate has done this. The ball is in the House’s court. Although the Postal Reform Act of 2011 was passed out of the relevant House committee in October 2011, leaders in the House of Representatives have yet to schedule a vote on the bill. The Senate, however, passed a bipartisan postal reform bill, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, on April 25, 2012.
With each day that the House fails to take action, the Postal Service loses $25 million. Further delays could accelerate an already deteriorating financial situation at the Postal Service that would threaten a mailing industry that employs over 8 million people and generates nearly $1 trillion in economic activity each year. Make no mistake, the Postal Service’s financial problems are dire, but they are solvable if Congress acts to pass comprehensive postal reform legislation.
The Postal Service’s Losses, By the Numbers
$6,500,000,000 Total FY 2012 Postal Service Losses So Far
$500,000,000 What New USPS Cost-Cutting Plan for Post Offices Saves in 1 Year
$25,000,000 What the Postal Service Loses Each Day
16 Days How Long it Currently Takes USPS to lose $500,000,000 – the same amount of savings announced in new USPS plan
$13,000,000,000+ Current Postal Service Debt to U.S. Treasury
143 Days Until USPS has to pay $11.1 billion for future retiree healthcare costs (as of 5/10)
15 Days Since the Senate Passed Comprehensive Postal Reform Legislation (as of 5/10)
211 Days Since the House Reported Its Postal Reform Bill Out of Committee (as of 5/10)
??? Days Until the House Takes Action on Postal Reform Legislation
USPS Incents Commercial Mailers to Combine Mobile Marketing With Direct mail
Encourages Use Of QR Codes and Other Digital Tools to Increase Returns
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Postal Service is offering the 2012 Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion to encourage commercial mailers to use mobile marketing tools — such as QR codes — on their mail.
During July and August, the Postal Service is offering an upfront 2 percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats and cards (presort and automation) that include a two-dimensional barcode or print/mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device. When scanned, the technology must activate a link directly to either a mobile-optimized Web page that allows the mail recipient to purchase a product or service or to a mobile-optimized and customized Web page uniquely tailored to the mail recipient and accessible by a personalized URL. Read more