Former United States Postal Employee Sentenced to 25 Months In Federal Prison For Theft Of United States Mail, Bank Fraud, And Aggravated Identity Theft

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Former U.S. Postal Service employee Elizabeth Shante Brown, 29, of Panama
City, Florida, was sentenced last week to serve 25 months in federal prison after pleading guilty
to stealing and using debit cards and checks from postal customers, as well as cash from Post
Offices. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the
sentence following Brown’s guilty plea to charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and
theft of United States mail.

While working for the Postal Service at locations in Okaloosa, Walton, and Holmes counties in
Florida, Brown stole postal customers’ individual and business bank checks and debit cards from the
mail between March 1 and May 31, 2017. She used the stolen debit cards to purchase or attempt to
purchase items of value and used the stolen checks to obtain or attempt to obtain cash. Brown was
arrested after she attempted to cash one of the stolen checks at a bank in Panama City. As part of
her sentence, Brown was ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

“Public servants have an obligation to treat the public with respect and integrity, but this
defendant tried to use her position of public trust for personal enrichment without regard to how
it would hurt her innocent victims,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “This kind of flagrant violation of
that trust will not be tolerated, and the result will be prison time for someone who thought she
could get away with it.”

The case resulted from an investigation by the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector
General and the Panama City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney J. Ryan Love.

“The sentencing serves as a strong deterrent to those attempting to abuse the Postal Service and a
clear reminder that the government is vigilant, and these crimes will not be tolerated," said
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Cave, of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General
Southern Area Field Office. “The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue
to vigorously investigate these types of cases in order to continue to protect the sanctity of the
Postal Service.”

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that
serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access
public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attor  ey’s Office, Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.