Former Usps Employee Sentenced To 3 Years In Federal Prison For Trafficking Drugs He Stole From The Mail

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD HOGAN, 38, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine and marijuana that he stole from the U.S. Mail.

This matter stems from a federal investigation into the use of the mails to transport narcotics from Puerto Rico to the greater Waterbury area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Edward Hogan was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a supervisor of customer service assigned to the Plaza Station Post Office in Waterbury.  From approximately January 2012 to August 2013, Hogan used his position with the U.S. Postal Service to profile packages that he believed contained illegal drugs by making note of the originating address, destination address, size of the package and value of the postage.  Upon identifying a package that he suspected contained narcotics, he would steal the package from the mail and bring it to his residence or the residence of his brother, Justin Hogan, where they would open the package and extract the drugs.  Edward Hogan would then reseal the empty package and deliver it to the destination.

The brothers distributed the stolen drugs to third parties for profit.

Through this scheme, Edward and Justin Hogan stole and then sold more than 100 pounds of marijuana and two kilograms of cocaine.

On November 9, 2013, law enforcement surveilled Edward Hogan as he intercepted a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was delivered to the Waterbury Main Post Office on Grand Street.  He then transported the parcel to his residence.  Justin Hogan arrived at the residence a short time later and opened the package in Edward Hogan’s presence.

On August 7, 2014, Edward Hogan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of embezzlement of mail by a U.S. Postal Employee.

On the same date, Justin Hogan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of receipt of stolen mail matter.  On December 4, 2014, he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Mattei.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov