California Man Sentenced To Four Years in Prison for Multi-State Fraud Against United States Post Offices

     PHOENIX – Yesterday, Kaleb Matias Wiewandt, 36, of Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan R. Bolton to 51-months in prison and ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution.  Wiewandt previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for conspiring with others to steal several million postage stamps from the United States Postal Service.

     “The defendant’s elaborate scheme to steal postage stamps from dozens of post offices was a significant offense that warranted a lengthy prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney John S Leonardo.

     "The health and success of the Postal Service depends upon strong and aggressive revenue protection," said Robert Wemyss, Inspector in Charge, Los Angeles Division.  "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to identify and pursue criminals who deliberately avoid proper payment of postage."

     Between May 2013 and April 2015, Wiewandt actively participated in a conspiracy to steal large numbers of postage stamps from various post offices in the United States.   To execute the fraud, Wiewandt would set up a fictitious business by renting temporary office space, developing a business name and insignia, and creating a variety of business related documents such as business checks, invoices, and business cards.   In nearly every case, the fictitious business invoice was transmitted to the post office to convey the false impression that a local business was seeking to purchase postage stamps in an amount that was between a few thousand dollars to approximately $21,000.  If the post office accepted the invoice, Wiewandt would send a third-party courier to the post office with a fictitious business check.  Postal clerks who called the phone numbers on the fictitious business invoice or check would be assured of the legitimacy of the transaction by Wiewandt or some other co-conspirator.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Services.  The prosecution was handled by Raymond K. Woo, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-15-0633-PHX-SRB

RELEASE NUMBER:   2015-074_ Wiewandt

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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