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Jennifer Riccardi, Gift Card Theft, Ohio 2017
CLEVELAND, OH – Jennifer Riccardi, 46, and Joseph Dennis, 37, both of Cleveland, were indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit theft of mail and possession of stolen mail, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, possession of stolen mail and access device fraud. Riccardi was also charged with theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to the indictment, Riccardi, a U.S. Postal Service employee who worked at the main mail processing center in Cleveland, stole at least 1,500 gift cards from the mail worth at least $47,000. The stolen mail included cards, letters, and other pieces of mail she believed contained gift cards, focusing primarily on brightly covered envelopes that appeared to contain greeting cards.
Riccardi concealed the mail she took from the mail stream in bags, her lunch box and other means. She transported the stolen mail to the residence she shared with Dennis during her mid-shift break or at the end of her shift. Dennis and Riccardi sold at least 41 stolen gift cards and used stolen gift cards for purchases from Amazon, Kohl’s, Starbucks and other locations.
On December 11, 2017, Dennis and Riccardi possessed at their residence at least 108 pieces of stolen mail, $42,000 in cash, an automatic currency counter and 1,505 stolen gift cards from approximately 230 merchants or vendors. Of those, 1,322 of the gift cards bore face values, which totaled approximately $47,000.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said, ‘This defendant is accused of stealing more than a thousand gift cards worth tens thousands of dollars, including birthday presents or other gifts people entrusted to the postal service for delivery to their family and loved ones. Those who steal mail will be held accountable for their actions, just like any other criminal.’
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenneth F. Cleevely stated, ‘The vast majority of the 500,000 postal employees nationwide are hard-working, trustworthy individuals. However, when one of those employees choose to violate that trust and steal from the mail for personal gain, special agents with the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate and pursue federal prosecution when appropriate.’
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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