Press Release
Postal Service Employee Admits To Stealing And Embezzling Over 20,000 Pieces Of Mail
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland – Jeffrey L. Shipley, age 47, of Millersville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to stealing and destroying mail while employed as a postal employee.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; and Special Agent in Charge Paul Bowman of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
According to his plea agreement, Shipley worked as a postal service carrier beginning in 1993. From about 2005 to March 10, 2014, Shipley stole and embezzled mail. Shipley was a letter carrier at the Brooklyn Carrier Annex from 1994 to January 2007, at the Parkville Branch until August 2007 and at the Catonsville Carrier Annex from August 4, 2007 to the present.
Shipley embezzled mail that he was entrusted to deliver on his assigned route. He also stole mail directly from the Catonsville Carrier Annex that was not part of his assigned route. Shipley also took Postal Service property, including stools, mail bags, signs and a mirror, valued at over $500.
Agents executed a search warrant at Shipley’s residence on March 10, 2014 and at a storage facility that he rented in Glen Burnie on April 18, 2014. Agents seized 20,413 pieces of mail, including gift cards and credit cards. Agents also seized 55 gift cards and 15 credit cards which were located separately from the stolen and embezzled mail, along with prescription bottles of medicine, checks, passports, a U.S. citizenship and immigration card, jewelry, clothes, books, a Nook, sunglasses and other items.
The total loss resulting from the scheme is over $10,000 and involved over 250 victims.
Shipley faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for theft of mail by a Postal employee and for destruction of mail by a Postal employee, and a $250,000 fine. Shipley has agreed to terminate his employment with the Postal Service and pay restitution of at least $10,000. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander scheduled sentencing for January 23, 2015 at 10:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Postal Service - OIG for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who is prosecuting the case.
Updated January 26, 2015
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