A Postal Service letter carrier has been convicted at trial of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Charges at Trial
Yvenel Clotaire, of West Palm Beach, has been convicted following a four-day federal jury trial in West Palm Beach, Florida. The charges were:
- conspiring to commit access device fraud,
- access device fraud, and
- five counts of aggravated identity theft.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2017, before U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.
According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, Clotaire engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), while working as a letter carrier for the Postal Service.
Providing Addresses of Postal Customers for Identity Theft
Clotaire provided co-conspirators with the residential addresses of approximately 50 to 60 individuals on his postal route.
Fraudulent unemployment applications, using the addresses and stolen identities of postal customers, were then submitted to DEO. When Florida Visa debit cards were mailed to the addresses on Clotaire’s Postal route, he intercepted them and passed them to at least one other co-conspirator. The scan netted about $90,000 in financial losses according to the Department of Justice.
Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Benjamin Greenberg, commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, USPIS and DEO. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael.
