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Lebel Gets 30 Months for $60K Postal Money Order Scam
BRIDGEPORT, CT – James Lebel, 40, formerly of Brooklyn, Connecticut, is headed to federal prison for thirty months after admitting to cashing over $60,000 in stolen U.S. Postal money orders. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley handed down the sentence today, followed by three years of supervised release. The scheme, cooked up with his then-wife, exploited vulnerabilities within the U.S. Postal Service and lined their pockets with stolen funds.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by John H. Durham, detailed how Lebel and Michelle Barbeau, an employee at the Wauregan Post Office in Plainfield, systematically pilfered 179 blank postal money orders between April and September 2017. Barbeau, leveraging her position, provided the blank money orders, which Lebel then fraudulently imprinted with various denominations. He subsequently cashed the illicit money orders at a Hartford post office, netting a total of $60,355.
This wasn’t Lebel’s first dance with the law. Court records reveal a lengthy and disturbing criminal history, including convictions for harassment, larceny, sexual assault, burglary, and narcotics offenses. The judge clearly considered this pattern of criminal behavior when determining the sentence. Lebel has been cooling his heels in detention since his arrest on September 19, 2018.
Barbeau, 38, received a significantly lighter sentence – three years of probation and eight months of home confinement – after pleading guilty to the same charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on January 16, 2019. She agreed to plead guilty just one day after Lebel’s January 15th guilty plea. The disparity in sentencing reflects, in part, her cooperation with investigators and her lack of a comparable criminal record.
Both Lebel and Barbeau were ordered to make full restitution for the stolen funds, meaning they will be financially responsible for repaying the U.S. Postal Service the $60,355 they fraudulently obtained. This case underscores the ongoing threat of internal fraud within federal agencies and the commitment of law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable.
The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments, including the impact of this fraud on the U.S. Postal Service and the local Connecticut community.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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