Former manager Ryan S. Cortez, 47, of Des Allemands, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing over $630,000 in U.S. Postal stamps and selling them on eBay.
Cortez, who was also ordered to pay $856,801.41 in restitution, manipulated the stock counts at the North Kenner Post Office while earning an annual salary of $70,818.
According to court records, Cortez’s illegal activities, which began in 2015, were discovered after PayPal and eBay alerted authorities to significant stamp sales. Postal OIG agents found evidence linking Cortez to ordering stamps from the Stamp Fulfillment Center, increasing the reserve stock by over $600,000.
During a search at his residence, Cortez confessed to stealing and selling the stamps, using another supervisor’s password to bypass internal controls. The funds were used to support Cortez’s gambling addiction, which led to substantial losses at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans.
Cortez’s sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe, who also imposed three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit, handled the prosecution of this case, which has been praised by U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser for its successful outcome.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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