Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced former postal employee Marvin Lamont Foster, age 55, of Rosedale, Maryland, today to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to steal from the United States Postal Service (USPS), announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Blake also entered an order of restitution against Foster in the amount of $305,200.

“Anyone who buys stamps at a discount should be on notice of the risk that they are purchasing stolen property,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his plea agreement, Foster was a window clerk at the Elkridge USPS office since 1998. First class postage stamps are provided by USPS to local post offices packaged in “bricks” of 2,000 stamps valued at $840 per brick and “coils” of 100 stamps valued at $42. From at least June 2008 through March 2009, Foster stole “bricks” and “coils” of stamps from the post office, which he provided to a co-conspirator and others to sell. The Elkridge USPS office has lost $682,809 as a result of the postage stamp theft scheme.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Rachel M. Yasser, who prosecuted the case.