Former Postal Service Employee Indicted for Fraud in Travel Expenses

BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a former U.S. Postal Service employee for a wire fraud scheme in which he falsified electronic travel vouchers totaling more than $30,000, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Postal Service Office of Inspector General Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Nugent.

            The indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges BOBBY W. BRUCE JR., 36, of Gadsden, with submitting 39 false expense vouchers through the Postal Service’s electronic travel expense system. Bruce sought mileage reimbursement between January 2012 and October 2012 for official travel that he never took, according to the indictment. Once the fictitious expense claim was submitted, Bruce used his manager’s computer login information to approve the voucher, the indictment says.

            The Postal Service Finance and Account Center in Minnesota approved the falsified vouchers and paid $31,126 as mileage reimbursement into Bruce’s credit union account in Gadsden, according to the indictment.

            The indictment seeks to have Bruce forfeit that amount as proceeds of illegal activity.

            The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

            The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence M. O’Rourke is prosecuting.

            An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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