Ex-Postal Employee Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

Ex-Postal Employee Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

Michele Smith Stole $214,017.53 in Postal Money Orders

PORTLAND, Ore. – U. S. District Court Judge Ancer L. Haggerty sentenced Michele Smith, 51, of Portland, Oregon, to serve 18 months in prison and ordered her to pay $201,034.74 in restitution to the U.S. Postal Service following last June’s guilty plea to one count of stealing government property.

Smith, whose last postal position was Lead Sales and Service Associate at the East Portland Station Post Office, worked for the Postal Service for over ten years until 2009. For approximately nine months, she stole over $200,000 in money orders. Smith would process fraudulent refunds and then issue the money orders to herself, her family, or to cover her bills. Court documents indicate that Smith used stolen funds to put a down payment on and make payments on two vehicles—one for herself and one for her daughter. She also paid for Disneyland hotel rooms and purchased items from the Danbury Mint, the Doubleday Book Club, Sleep Country, Fingerhut and LL Bean.

“It’s always a shock to the history and traditions of the Postal Service when an employee breaks the trust placed in them. The public we serve can be assured this type of behavior will never be tolerated and the USPS Office of Inspector General and the U. S. Attorney’s Office will ensure accountability for such behavior, as we did in this incident,” said David A. Montoya, Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG, Western Area Field Office.

The case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Amy E. Potter. The alternate point of contact for media inquiries is John D. Masters, Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Public Information Officer for the Western Area Field Office, USPS OIG. He may be reached at (360) 713-0249.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.