February 29, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 32-year-old Prior Lake man was sentenced for manufacturing counterfeit postage meter stamps. United States District Court Judge Richard H. Kyle sentenced Andre George Mehilove to 18 months in prison on one count of counterfeiting postage stamps. In addition, he was ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution. Mehilove was indicted on July 6, 2011, and pleaded guilty on October 17, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Mehilove admitted that from August of 2006 through April 3, 2009, he created counterfeit postage meter stamps using his personal computer and printer. The stamps were copies of postage meter stamps he had purchased online. In addition, Mehilove admitted using the counterfeit stamps himself and selling them online. On April 3, 2009, during the execution of a search warrant at Mehilove’s residence and place of employment, authorities seized various computers, items with counterfeit postage, PayPal identity devices, and online postage labels.

Following today’s sentencing, Tommy D. Coke, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division, which includes the Twin Cities, said, “The criminal act of counterfeiting United States postage is a priority investigation as it directly impacts the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant on identifying and bringing those individuals who defraud the Postal Service to justice.”

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.