Press Release from the US Departmen t of Justice

William J. Edwards, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Elizabeth A. Farcht, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Area for the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, announced today that an Information has been filed charging Ulysses Bradley, age 42, of Northfield, Ohio with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of U.S. Government Property and Misappropriation of Postal Funds.

According to the Information, Ulysses Bradley was the manager of the Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) for the United States Postal Service (USPS) serving the Northern District of Ohio, overseeing local branch offices in Parma, Shaker Heights, Akron, Canton, and Youngstown. As manager of the VMF, Bradley was responsible for approving payments for service and maintenance for all USPS vehicles; Bradley was also responsible for selling used Postal vehicles.

The Information states that Bradley and others prepared and approved fictitious invoices submitted to the U.S. Postal Service in order to receive funds for vehicle washing/waxing work which was never performed for the U.S. Postal Service. The Information alleges that Bradley and others used the names of fictitious companies or third-party companies to prepare and submit fictitious payment requests which were submitted to the U.S. Postal Service in order to receive funds for high-end vehicle maintenance work which was never performed for the U.S. Postal Service. Bradley, using his authority as a Certifying Officer, would approve the payments stating the work had been performed when he knew that it had not.

In exchange for his approvals, the Information alleges that Bradley received a cash share (or “kickback”) of the funds the U.S. Postal Service had paid to the listed contractors. To avoid detection, the Information states that Bradley would destroy the payment requests in contravention of the U.S. Postal Service record keeping regulations. In total, the Information alleges that Bradley approved fictitious invoices resulting in a loss to the U.S. Postal Service of approximately $190,000.

The Information further alleges that Bradley would sell used U.S. Postal Service vehicles to individuals, without putting them up for public auction, in return for a cash “kickback” payment.

Farcht stated: “The vast majority of the Postal Service’s 765,000 employees and contractors are dedicated and hard-working individuals who work diligently to move the mail to its proper destination. Unfortunately, a small number of individuals choose to betray the public trust. Special Agents of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service identify and investigate those employees, and seek their criminal prosecution and removal from the Postal Service in order to restore that trust and maintain confidence in the postal system. To report allegations of theft, fraud, or other violations of law, contact the USPS Office of Inspector General at 1-888-USPS-OIG or www.uspsoig.gov.”

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin J. Roberts, following an investigation by the Cleveland Office of the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General.

An Information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.