A Boston grand jury has indicted a former U.S. Postal inspector for stealing more than $330,000 from the mail — most of it from senior citizens he was supposed to protect from mail fraud.
Scott Kelley, 51, of Massachusetts, was charged in a 45-count indictment connected to taking the money from packages mailed by victims and using that cash for escorts, cruise vacations, and home improvements, according to a statement Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Charges in the Boston grand jury indictment include “wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft by a postal officer, theft of government money, money laundering, structuring to evade reporting requirements and filing false tax returns,” Fox News reported.
After allegedly stealing cash from sender’s packages, Fox reported that Kelley laundered the money and “used $15,400 to pay for sexual services from two escorts, sometimes on workdays; $30,188 for a new swimming pool patio and lighting; a granite countertop for his outdoor bar; and $4,300 on a Caribbean cruise.”
Kelly, according to federal prosecutors, worked as the team leader for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Mail Fraud Unit, a Post Office law enforcement operation that investigates mail scams. He also worked as team leader of the Mail Theft Unit from June 2022 until August 2023.
Prosecutors say Kelley allegedly sent emails to unsuspecting postal employees, asking them to confiscate flagged packages that were sent by victims of a Jamaican fraud operation that targeted Americans. The scam convinced victims to send money to get lottery or sweepstake winnings.
Under Post Office rules, workers weren’t allowed to open the flagged correspondences without the sender’s consent, and any money was to be returned to victims.
Kelley directed the postal workers to send the packages to him, presumably for him to legally handle the inspections and package openings, prosecutors said.
“Kelley allegedly requested that approximately 1,950 packages be intercepted and mailed to him,” the U.S. Attorney’s statement said. “It is alleged that Kelley opened intercepted parcels that looked or felt like they might contain cash, and that he stole any cash inside.”
The U.S. Attorney’s statement reported most of those who lost money were seniors:
The indictment identifies seven victims who were scammed into mailing cash in parcels that Kelley allegedly intercepted, and that he opened the parcels and stole the cash. The average age of the victims was 75, with the oldest victim being 82. The victims mailed between $1,400 and $19,100 cash. It is alleged that Kelley met with one victim in person and told them that that he did not know what had happened with their package and that their loss was their own fault because they had mailed cash. None of the victims recovered their packages or their cash.
Kelley could be sent to prison for 20 years for each of the many fraud charges as well more years tacked on for theft and filing false tax returns.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more
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