News and Press Releases
Prior Lake man sentenced for
manufacturing false postage stamps
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 32-year-old Prior Lake man
was sentenced for manufacturing counterfeit postage meter stamps. United States District Court
Judge Richard H. Kyle sentenced Andre George Mehilove to 18 months in prison on one count
of counterfeiting postage stamps. In addition, he was ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution.
Mehilove was indicted on July 6, 2011, and pleaded guilty on October 17, 2011.
In his plea agreement, Mehilove admitted that from August of 2006 through April 3, 2009,
he created counterfeit postage meter stamps using his personal computer and printer. The stamps
were copies of postage meter stamps he had purchased online. In addition, Mehilove admitted
using the counterfeit stamps himself and selling them online. On April 3, 2009, during the
execution of a search warrant at Mehilove’s residence and place of employment, authorities
seized various computers, items with counterfeit postage, PayPal identity devices, and online
postage labels.
Following today’s sentencing, Tommy D. Coke, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the
Denver Division, which includes the Twin Cities, said, “The criminal act of counterfeiting
United States postage is a priority investigation as it directly impacts the U.S. Postal Service.
The Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant on identifying and bringing those individuals who
defraud the Postal Service to justice.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.
