Pensacola business owner Gerald Mandel, 52, has been ordered to pay $72,255.48 in restitution and fines after pleading guilty to defrauding the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO) of more than $47,000. Mandel, owner of DLUX Printing, filed nine fraudulent invoices to the GPO between January 1, 2013, and May 15, 2018, pocketing federal funds meant for direct mail services he never fully provided.
According to court documents, Mandel submitted a total of 115 invoices during the contract period, with 33 tied to direct mail services. Instead of fulfilling orders in full, Mandel printed only about half the required materials and falsified shipping documents to make it appear deliveries were complete. Investigators uncovered 11 shipments with forged paperwork, which Mandel used to justify fraudulent payments from the GPO.
For his scheme, Mandel was sentenced to three years’ probation on federal charges of theft of government money and submitting false claims. In addition to probation, he must pay $47,255.48 in restitution and a $25,000 fine—totaling $72,255.48 in financial penalties. The case was prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
“Gerald Mandel took advantage of the control he had over the direct mail services process to steal almost 50,000 taxpayer dollars from the federal government,” said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida. “His sentencing today sends a message that we expect, and demand, our government employees and contractors act with integrity and follow the law. Greed will not go unchecked in the Northern District of Florida.”
Inspector General Michael P. Leary of the GPO’s Office of Inspector General emphasized the agency’s commitment to rooting out fraud. “We take allegations of false claims, overbilling and theft of government funds very seriously and will aggressively investigate these matters to ensure efficiency and effectiveness throughout GPO programs. We appreciate the efforts of the DOJ in pursuing these allegations and will continue our collaboration with the DOJ to investigate those who seek to defraud agency programs.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, one of 94 federal prosecutorial offices, handled the case with investigative support from the GPO’s Office of Inspector General. Public court records are available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida’s website. The Department of Justice, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2020, continues to pursue accountability in government contracting and financial integrity.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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