Omaha Man Convicted of Impersonating a Federal Officer

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Jeffrey Thomas Ostdiek, 56, of Omaha, Nebraska, was found guilty today following a three-day jury trial in federal court for four counts of impersonating a federal officer. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., scheduled Ostdiek’s sentencing for January 7, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Ostdiek faces up to six years in prison.

Between October 2016 and at least January 2017, Ostdiek went to multiple locations in the Omaha area claiming to be a Postal Inspector or Postmaster General. Ostdiek wore identification that he made from Postal Service receipts along with a body-worn video camera. On one of these occasions, Ostdiek convinced an actual United States Postal Service employee to accompany him to the Douglas County Courthouse where he demanded to meet with a government official, all under the pretense of being a Postal Inspector investigating a legal matter concerning his brother.

In September 2020, Ostdiek went to multiple locations in the Omaha area claiming to be a United States Marshal. Ostdiek wore a six-pointed star belt buckle along with a body-worn video camera. On one of these occasions, Ostdiek went to a business in Omaha seeking contact information for a former employee. Ostdiek left a note to pass on to the former employee asking her to call “Marshal Thomas.”

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshal Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service.