Miguel Cruz Quiles, Theft of Government Property, Connecticut 2024

A brazen scheme to steal over $250,000 from the U.S. Postal Service has finally come to an end. Miguel Cruz Quiles, a 34-year-old East Hartford resident, pleaded guilty to theft of government property in federal court in Bridgeport.

Cruz Quiles, a former employee of the U.S. Postal Service, used his authorization credentials to issue himself over 250 fraudulent money orders from service counters at the Blue Hills Post Office in Hartford and the Bishops Corner Post Office in West Hartford. Most of the fraudulent money orders were issued in the amount of $1,000.

Between 2012 and 2024, Cruz Quiles employed various methods to execute his scheme, including using the authorization credentials of another USPS employee to access the USPS computer system and fraudulently coding the transactions to conceal his theft. Some of the transactions even occurred when the post office service counter was closed to the public.

Cruz Quiles then cashed the money orders or deposited them into his personal bank accounts. On December 9, 2024, he issued to himself 30 fraudulent money orders each in the amount of $1,000.

Cruz Quiles pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property, admitting that he unlawfully cashed or deposited at least $250,320 in government funds.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for April 15, at which time Cruz Quiles faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Cruz Quiles is currently released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/usps-employee-admits-stealing-250k-postal-money-orders