FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

FEBRUARY 8, 2007

FORMER POSTAL CARRIER SENTENCED IN BANK FRAUD CONSPIRACY

Stole Boxes of Personal Checks from the Mail

Greenbelt, Maryland - George E. Mozee, age 47, of Bowie, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release following his conviction by a federal jury of conspiring to commit bank fraud arising from his theft of personal checks from the mail, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announced. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. also ordered Mozee to pay restitution of $123,246.27.

According to evidence presented at trial, Mozee worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. From July 2004 to August 2005, Mozee stole boxes of personal checks from the mail in the Lamond Riggs Station post office in Washington, D.C. and gave them to Ervin S. Waddy, age 55, of Mount Rainier. Waddy testified that, together with Drain M. Short, age 44, of Washington, D.C., Terrence Ellis, age 39, of Seat Pleasant, Maryland and Angela Agnew, age 43, of Landover, Maryland, they used the stolen checks and corresponding false identity documents they created to buy items for themselves and others at stores in Maryland. The total loss attributable to Mozee is $123,246.27.

Waddy, Short, Ellis and Agnew pled guilty to various charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and use of another’s identity, arising from this scheme. Waddy was sentenced to 67 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release; Ellis was sentenced to 32 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release; and Agnew was sentenced to two years in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Waddy and Ellis were also ordered to pay restitution of $123,246.27; Agnew was ordered to pay restitution of $40,000. Short is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Chan Park, who is prosecuting the case.