(The writer of the press release gets extra points for the first use I’ve ever seen of the phrase “Relief Postmistress”) 

PIKEVILLE, Ky., Jan. 11 — The U.S. Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued the following press release:

Kim Fugate, former Relief Postmistress at the Burdine Kentucky Post Office, was sentenced Tuesday to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution of $6,760.02 to the U.S. Postal Service, after pleading guilty in October of last year to embezzlement of postal funds.

United States District Court Judge, Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, also stipulated in his sentencing Fugate’s restrictions for future employment to positions where she has no access to financial records or money belonging to others.

In October of 2005 until February of 2006, Fugate, 39, of Mayking, Ky. embezzled $6,851.68 by selling U.S. Postal Money Orders and keeping the funds for her own personal use. As part of her duties as the Relief Postmistress, Fugate was in charge of keeping the Daily Financial Reports listing the money orders sold. To cover her theft, she would sell the money orders, but not list the sales on the Daily Financial Reports.

Amul R. Thapar, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Robin Dangleish, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, jointly made the announcement after the sentencing.

The investigation preceding the guilty plea was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Frances Catron-Malone.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 13th, 2007 at 8:39 am and is filed under postal, postal crime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.