eBay Salesman Who Ripped Off Postal Service and His Customers Convicted of Mail Fraud

Assistants U. S. Attorney Christopher P. Tenorio and Emily Keifer (619) 546-8413  

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 8, 2015

SAN DIEGO - Jack Zeljko Pasic pleaded guilty earlier today to defrauding the U.S. Postal Service out of postage due on over 9,000 packages shipped from San Diego to eBay customers throughout the United States between April 2009 and October 2010.

            From 2008 through 2010, Pasic ran a company, Diavega, which sold items to customers on eBay. In April 2009, Pasic purchased a postal meter to print postage labels that he would use to ship packages to his Diavega customers. Pasic altered the postage labels, however, to conceal that he had paid only $0.01 in postage when a larger amount of postage was actually owed.

According to his plea agreement, Pasic also labeled the packages to falsely indicate that they were being sent from, and mailed to, the same address in an effort to ensure that the items he shipped would reach their intended destination. In so doing, Pasic ensured the packages were delivered to the customers even when the USPS attempted to return the package to sender for underpayment of postage upon discovering that postage was due. In most cases, the customers were required to pay additional postage fees to the USPS even though they had sent earlier fees to Pasic. In total, Pasic defrauded the USPS out of over $18,000 in unpaid postage.

            “The vigilance of the U.S. Postal Service has ensured that the defendant will pay for services unjustly billed to the American public,” said United States Attorney Laura Duffy.

            Pasic entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nita L. Stormes and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo on January 8, 2016.

DEFENDANT                                  Case Number 15CR2381-CAB

Jack Zeljko Pasic                     Age: 51                      

SUMMARY OF CHARGE

Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 (Mail Fraud)   

Maximum penalty: 5 years of custody; $250,000 Fine

AGENCY

United States Postal Inspection Service