HOUSTON – In a brazen case of postal deception, Susan Spiegel, the former owner of Postal Connections of America, has been convicted of manufacturing and selling counterfeit postage, causing a significant loss to the United States Postal Service (USPS).
According to court documents, Spiegel, 70, of Tomball, admitted to purchasing legitimate postage through her company’s Stamps.com account, duplicating it, and applying the counterfeit postage to outgoing mail, which was ultimately delivered by the USPS.
Investigations revealed that Spiegel’s scheme involved nearly 2000 individual pieces of outgoing mail, with used and re-used sheets of online stamps and over 1,000 individual counterfeit postage stamps seized from her business. The oldest duplicated stamp dated back to an original print date in 2009.
The investigation also found a drastic decline in legitimate postage purchased by Postal Connections from Stamps.com over time, further evidence of Spiegel’s deceitful scheme.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes accepted Spiegel’s guilty plea and set sentencing for September 23, 2013. At that time, she faces a maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. In addition, Spiegel faces a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $39,256.92 for losses incurred by the USPS.
Robert Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), emphasized the importance of revenue protection, stating, ‘The health and success of the Postal Service depends upon strong and aggressive revenue protection. We will continue to identify and pursue dishonest mailers who deliberately avoid proper payment of postage.’
This case was investigated by the USPIS and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Tammie Y. Moore. The conviction serves as a warning to others who seek to exploit the postal system for personal gain.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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