Two Postal Workers, Psychologist Charged In $1 million Workers Comp Fraud Scheme
(June 14) A Whittier psychologist was arrested this morning following his indictment for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to bill the federal government nearly $1 million for medical treatments for fabricated psychological conditions.
The indictment handed down June 8 charges clinical psychologist Arnold P. Nerenberg, 69, co-founder of the Whittier-based World Legion of Power bodybuilding organization, with seven counts of mail fraud.
Also charged in the case are two ex-postal workers, Lois L. Washington, 47, of Inglewood, and Cetric T. Fletcher, 51, of Long Beach. Washington and Fletcher are each charged with two counts of mail fraud, and are also each accused of two counts of making false statements to obtain federal employee’s compensation. Read more
Wisconsin Postal Worker Charged With Theft From Mail
Madison, Wisconsin — A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Theresa L. Kuehl, 42, Neillsville, Wis., is charged with theft from an item of mail while employed at the Neillsville U.S. Postal Station. The indictment alleges that on December 22, 2009, she removed a prepaid Citibank debit card in the amount of $100 from a piece of mail.
If convicted, Kuehl faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge against her is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of this case has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.
source: US Department Of Justice
Letter Carrier Found Guilty Of Theft Of Mail In Cairo, Georgia
Press Release Oct 13, 2010
United States Attorney Michael J. Moore announced that on October 12, 2010 in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, in the Albany Division, RENEE GARRETT, age 60, a resident of Cairo, Georgia, was found guilty after a jury trial of three counts of Theft of Mail, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
Garrett, who was employed as a Postal Service mail carrier in Cairo, embezzled various items of mail addressed to others on multiple occasions from July, 2005 through November, 2007.
Garrett’s sentencing will be scheduled by the Court in approximately sixty days. Garrett faces a maximum sentence on all counts of up to five years imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory $100.00 assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K. Alan Dasher. For additional information please contact Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist at (478) 621-2602.
Alabama Postal Workers Indicted For Mail Theft, Embezzlement
FEDERAL GRAND JURY RETURNS EIGHT INDICTMENTS FOR MAIL THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT OR DELAY OF DELIVERY
September 29, 2010
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today returned eight indictments charging U.S. Postal Service employees and others with stealing or otherwise interfering with the U.S. mail, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Sam Montalvo, assistant special agent in charge, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, and Frank Dyer, domicile coordinator, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
In separate indictments filed in U.S. District Court, the grand jury charged five U.S. Postal employees, two employees of postal contract centers, and one individual not affiliated with the Postal Service with either stealing, delaying or destroying mail.
“The United States mail is one of this country’s most respected institutions,” Vance said. “Businesses and citizens, alike, trust and rely on the efficient operation of the mail system. Postal employees and others who abuse this system do the country a great disservice. They will be prosecuted,” she said.
U.S. Postal Service employees indicted today are:
TAMEKA MOORE THOMAS, 36, of Homewood, who worked at the Birmingham Downtown Carrier Facility. MOORE is charged with stealing mail and articles contained therein, from May 2008 to March 26, 2009. Count One charges her with theft of government property; count two charges theft by a Postal Service employee.
ROBIN JOEL BAGLEY, 45, of Birmingham, who worked as a mail handler in the Birmingham Processing and Distribution Center Annex. BAGLEY was charged with delaying mail delivery and theft of mail by a U.S. Postal employee between May 28, 2009, and Oct. 8, 2009.
JANA KAY MUSTGROVE, 31, of Hanceville, who was a mail carrier at the Cullman Post Office. MUSTGROVE was charged with delaying mail delivery and theft by a Postal employee, from December 2008 to June 23, 2009.
JENNIFER SMITH JEFFREYS, 34, of Mount Hope, who worked as a rural carrier associate at the Dansville Post Office. JEFFREYS was charged with delay and destruction of U.S. mail and theft of mail matter by Postal employee from April 10, 2010, to May 29, 2010.
ANGELA DENISE CRUMMIE, 51, of Tuscaloosa, who worked as a Postal carrier at the Eastside Station Post Office in Tuscaloosa. CRUMMIE was charged with delay or destruction of mail and theft of mail by a Postal employee on March 18, 2010.
Two employees of U.S. Postal contract centers, where Postal products are sold inside other retail outlets, were indicted today. They are:
BRENDA ANN POSEY, 48, of Hazelgreen, who worked contract unit in Huntsville. POSEY was charged with theft of Postal Service funds exceeding $1,000, from Jan. 24, 2008, to Sept. 30, 2009.
CAROL POOLE RAMSEY, 51, of Huntsville, who worked at a contract unit in Huntsville. RAMSEY was charged with theft of Postal Service funds exceeding $1,000 between Oct. 28, 2008 to Aug. 26, 2009.
The grand jury also indicted RAYMOND EARL PETTY, 45, of Fairfield, who did not work for the Postal Service or one of its contract centers, on nine counts of possessing personal checks which were stolen from the U.S. mail between Nov. 6, 2008, and April 9, 2009.
Theft of government property is punishable by a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Theft of mail matter by a Postal employee, delay and destruction of mail, and possession of stolen mail matter are punishable by a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The government will seek forfeiture in cases involving monetary losses, in addition to required restitution orders for victims of these alleged crimes.
Investigators of the U.S. Postal Office of Inspector General and the Postal Inspection Service investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Salter is prosecuting them.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Former Texas Postal Employee Charged With Theft Of Mail Matter
Filed under: legal cases, postal, postal employees, postal news, press releases, usdoj
United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas
September 9, 2010
(LAREDO, Texas) – Raul Cavazos, 62, of Edinburgh, Texas, has been arrested as a result of the return of a sealed indictment which charges him with theft of mail matter by a U.S. Postal Service employee, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.
The sealed indictment returned on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, by a Laredo federal grand jury was unsealed today following Cavazos’ arrest by law enforcement authorities in McAllen, Texas.
According to the indictment, Cavazos is alleged to have stolen and removed from letters, articles and U.S. currency, which came into his possession while he was employed as a postal employee in Laredo between May 11, 2008, and Oct. 16, 2008. The indictment lists a total of eight separate counts in which Cavazos is accused of having allegedly stolen or removed two Visa gift cards, as well as gift cards from Target, Lowe’s and Best Buy and taking U.S. currency from three separate letters amounting to a total of $105.
Cavazos is expected to be make his initial court appearance tomorrow, Sept. 10, before a U.S. Magistrate in McAllen, Texas. At that time, the United States expects to request of the court Cavazos remain in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings. A court date for a hearing on the government’s motion to will be set for a later date. The case against Cavazos will be prosecuted in Laredo.
Each count of the indictment carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment along with a $250,000 fine upon conviction.
The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Roberto F. Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Postmaster Indicted In Sex Slave Case
Press Release from the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that four southern Missouri men and a St. Louis, Mo., man have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a commercial sex trafficking conspiracy. The indictment alleges that a young, mentally deficient woman was sexually abused and tortured for several years in a Lebanon, Mo., home, and forced to work as an exotic dancer at local strip clubs.
“The allegations contained in this indictment are among the most horrific ever prosecuted in this district,” Phillips said. “The sexual torture suffered over a period of years by the victim is highly disturbing.
“The Human Trafficking Rescue Project is specifically designed to address the problem of human trafficking from every direction,” Phillips added. “We are providing the victims of human trafficking with the protection and support they need. At the same time, as this indictment illustrates, we are prosecuting both the supply and the demand, both the traffickers and their customers.”
Edward Bagley, Sr., 43, and Michael Stokes, 62, both of Lebanon, Mo., Dennis Henry, 50, of Wheatland, Mo., James Noel, 44, of Springfield, Mo., and Bradley Cook, 31, of St. Louis, Mo., were charged in an 11-count indictment that was returned under seal by a grand jury in Kansas City on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants. Henry is the postmaster general of Nevada, Mo. Stokes is a national representative for Disabled American Veterans.
The federal indictment alleges that, from December 2002 to February 2009, Bagley coerced a female victim, identified as “FV,” to become a sex slave and sexually tortured her. Bagley allegedly advertised online that FV could be sexually tortured during live online sessions or in person. The indictment states that Stokes, Henry, Noel and Cook participated in this conspiracy as customers who paid Bagley to sexually abuse and torture FV. The indictment also alleges that Bagley forced FV to work as a stripper and kept the proceeds from that work.
The federal investigation began after Bagley allegedly suffocated and electrocuted FV during a torture session to a state of cardiac arrest on Feb. 27, 2009. FV, who was 23 years old at that time, received emergency medical treatment and was hospitalized.
According to the federal indictment, Bagley enticed FV, a 16-year-old runaway who suffered from mental deficiencies, into his trailer home in December 2002. Bagley promised FV, who had grown up in foster care homes, that he would help her to become a model and a dancer; she was given her own bedroom and provided with clothes and food. Bagley allegedly gave FV marijuana and ecstasy, showed her images of pornography and sadomasochism activities, and began sexually abusing her.
Bagley began sexually torturing FV in February 2004, according to the indictment, when she turned 18 years old and Bagley had her sign a “sex slave contract,” which he convinced FV legally bound her to him as his slave for the rest of her life The indictment cites numerous allegations of a variety of sexual acts, torture, and mutilation over a five-year period.
If FV attempted to stop the activity or cried for help, the indictment says, Bagley escalated the torture. Bagley allegedly threatened to kill FV and demonstrated to her that he could do so by keeping numerous guns in the home. Bagley shot animals that FV cared for in front of her, the indictment says, and bragged about the bodies he had already buried in the woods behind the trailer home. Bagley also threatened to bury FV alive, the indictment says, and showed her a video demonstrating how he intended to do it.
Bagley had FV tattooed to mark her as his property, the indictment says, including a bar code on her neck, a tribal tattoo on her back with the letter “S” to mark her as a slave, and the Chinese symbol for slave on her ankle.
Between February 2005 and February 2009, Bagley tortured FV on live webcasts on the Internet. Noel paid Bagley $300 to watch Bagley torture FV, and to sexually abuse and torture FV. Henry and Stokes also sexually abused and tortured FV, and watched Bagley torture FV. Cook sexually abused and tortured FV and downloaded streaming Internet video of Bagley torturing FV.
Stokes gave Bagley steaks, cigarettes, coats, clothing, lighters and cash. Henry and Stokes paid approximately $2,900 for Bagley to transport FV to California in December 2006 for a photo shoot in which FV performed sexual acts. Henry accompanied Bagley on the trip. Stokes paid Bagley $300 for a torture session, and also gave him money to build a home-made device to sexually torture FV. Cook gave Bradley a hard drive with sadomasochism and torture videos downloaded from the Internet.
In addition to the criminal conspiracy, each of the five defendants is also charged with one count of commercial sex trafficking and one count of using the Internet to facilitate the unlawful activity.
Bagley is also charged with forced labor trafficking and document servitude. The federal indictment alleges that Bagley forced FV to work as a stripper and exotic dancer at adult entertainment clubs from June 2007 to February 2009. Bagley allegedly earned approximately $112,200 from FV’s work. According to the indictment, Bagley punished FV with torture and physical and sexual abuse for failing to be a top earner at the adult entertainment clubs where he had her dance and strip. Bagley allegedly confiscated FV’s identification documents, including her state-issued identification card, birth certificate and Social Security card, at the time he had her sign the “sex slave contract.”
Bagley is also charged with using the Internet for enticement, enticement to travel for sexual activity, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21 and being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Bagley and Henry are also charged together in one count of transportation for sexual activity. Cook is also charged with one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Bagley to forfeit to the government any proceeds obtained from the alleged offenses, as well as any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including $112,200 allegedly obtained by the forced labor trafficking of the victim, two computers, sex toys and paraphernalia and torture devices and 11 firearms. Cook would also be required to forfeit three computers, a hard drive, two Xbox 360s and seven firearms.
Under federal statutes, a conviction for commercial sex trafficking carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A conviction for either commercial sex trafficking or forced labor trafficking that involves aggravated sexual abuse carries a maximum penalty of life in federal prison without parole.
Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia L. Cordes. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting, Robbing Letter Carrier
Filed under: letter carriers, postal, postal news, press releases, usdoj
Man assaulted and robbed letter carrier of $26 while delivering mail
The U.S. Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s office for Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following press release:
July 16, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHRISTOPHER ISAAC, age 20, of Marrero, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court yesterday before U. S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan to assault on a federal officer, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, ISAAC admitted that on February 12, 2010, he used a semi-automatic pistol to forcibly assault and rob a U. S. Postal Service letter carrier while the letter carrier was delivering mail at the Ridgefield Apartments in Marrero, Louisiana.
ISAAC faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of $250,000 and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for October 27, 2010.
The case was investigated by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen .
Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Statutory Maximum Sentence of Five Years in Federal Prison for Role in Mail Theft Conspiracy
June 24
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas issued the following news release:
Defendant Worked as a Mail Handler at Dallas Main Post Office
DALLAS- A former employee of the U.S. Postal Service, James Olabode Laniyan, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis to 60 months in federal prison, the statutory maximum, for his role in a mail theft conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Solis also ordered that Laniyan, pay $302,620 in restitution for disbursement to Discover Card Services and Capital Bank One Bank. Laniyan, 51, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on July 28, 2010.
Laniyan pleaded guilty in February 2010 to one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter and commit fraud and related activity in connection with access devices. In January 2010, Laniyan’s co-conspirator, Sulaimon Olasode, 36, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to the same offense and was sentenced last month by Judge Solis to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally with Laniyan. Olasode is in federal custody; following his sentence, will be referred to U.S. Immigration authorities for deportation to Nigeria.
According to documents filed in the case, Laniyan was employed as a mail handler with the U.S. Postal Service at the Dallas Main Post Office. Sometime prior to October 2008, Olasode approached Laniyan about stealing mail from the post office. After considering the money he could make, Laniyan agreed to participate in the conspiracy, which they ran until August 5, 2009.
“The American public trusts the Postal Service to deliver its mail intact. When a postal employee betrays that trust and steals mail, then uses stolen financial information to wreak havoc in the lives of our citizens, Special Agents of the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General investigate. Fortunately, these incidents are not common, and the overwhelming majority of the 600,000 postal employees are honest and hard working. With the prosecutive support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will aggressively pursue any employee committing a postal crime,” said Max Eamiguel, Executive Special Agent-in-Charge, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Southwest Area Field Office.
Laniyan stole credit cards and credit card customer information by removing letters and parcels from the mail stream and then sent the contents of the stolen mail to Olasode in Houston for him to activate and use the stolen credit cards in the Houston area. In February 2009, members of Discover Financial Services Organized Crime Unit identified more than 40 credit cards mailed to customers in the Dallas area that were never received and later compromised. The vast majority of the compromised cards were being fraudulently used in the Houston, Katy, Sugarland and Richmond, Texas, areas.
Approximately 150 victims had their Capital One or Discover credit cards stolen in the scheme.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General and the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Wiley was in charge of the prosecution.
Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty To Submitting Phony Postal Employee Prescriptions
Press Release from the United States Attorney District of New Jersey:
June 3
TRENTON, N.J. — The owner and operator of Sicomac Pharmacy in Wyckoff, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits program by billing for prescriptions never requested by United States Postal Service customers of the pharmacy, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Francisco Marcos, 34, of Wyckoff , pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an Information charging him with health care fraud. Judge Thompson set bail at $50,000 and permitted Marcos’ release pending sentencing, which is scheduled for September 22, 2010.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made during Marcos’ guilty plea proceeding:
From 2005 through 2008, Marcos owned and operated Sicomac Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy. Among the customers of Sicomac Pharmacy were employees of the United States Postal Service and their families, whose prescriptions were covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Between 2005 and 2008, on at least 400 occasions, Marcos submitted claims for prescriptions for these customers, when the customers had not requested the prescriptions and never received them.
Marcos received over $28,000 from the Federal Employees Health Benefits program for the phony prescriptions.
At sentencing, Marcos faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain or victim loss from the offense. As part of his plea agreement, Marcos agreed to enter into a restitution order requiring him to repay $28,500 to the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.
In determining an actual sentence, Judge Thompson will consult the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining the sentence. Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited Special Agents with the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jane Hughes in Trenton, New Jersey; Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, in Newark, New Jersey; Special Agents with the United States Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Drew Grimm in Washington, D.C.; and Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Thomas F. ODonnell, Special Agent in Charge for the region covering New Jersey.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob T. Elberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Former Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft
June 4, 2010
Baltimore, Maryland – Althaniel Arson Dailey, age 47, of Severn, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to mail theft.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.
According to the plea agreement, on February 28, 2009, Dailey, a former police officer and Postal Service employee, arrived at the loading dock at the Columbia, Maryland Post Office, where he had been employed until his discharge three to four weeks earlier. Dailey represented himself to be an employee of a large Postal Service customer in the area which picks up its own mail because it contains a large volume of returned mail containing cash. Dailey loaded the company’s 12 letter trays and two tubs of mail into his car.
Dailey admits that later that day, wearing his former Postal Service uniform, and identifying himself as a Postal Service employee, he delivered two tubs and three letter trays of mail to the company’s corporate headquarters. Dailey retained nine letter trays of mail, consisting primarily of returned mail. Each of the approximately 600 letters in each of the nine trays contained cash, totaling approximately $10,800.
Dailey faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for August 19, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Tamera L. Fine, who is prosecuting the case.