Congress Lepou, Mail Theft Conspiracy, Alaska 2018
Mail Thief Sentenced to Prison
Anchorage, Alaska – A former Ravn Alaska supervisor has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for leading a mail theft conspiracy that stole over $100,000 worth of phones and tobacco products.
Congress Lepou, 30, of Anchorage, was sentenced on December 2018 by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason. Lepou was ordered to serve 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and pay $199,143 in restitution.
Lepou pleaded guilty in December 2018 to one count of conspiracy, one count of mail theft, and one count of possession of stolen mail. He was the leader of a mail theft conspiracy involving a total of six former Ravn employees.
According to court documents, Lepou and his co-defendant, Breadoflife Faiupu, abused their positions as supervisors at Ravn Alaska to steal computers from the mail, and then recruited those they supervised to help find buyers for the stolen computers.
The investigation revealed that Faiupu and Lepou would share the proceeds from the sales with those they were tasked to supervise, ensuring their silence. The stolen computers were intended for village schools, and the total approximate retail value of stolen Apple computers attributable to the conspiracy is $90,000.
Lepou also stole over $100,000 worth of phones and tobacco products from the mail intended for rural stores in addition to the computers. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Gleason noted the serious impact to village school districts and communities as a result of the defendant’s thefts.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. The Alaska State Trooper Technical Crimes Unit also assisted in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward.
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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