An Oklahoma man was recently sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison for cheque fraud after embezzling more than $41,000 USD worth of U.S. postage stamps by writing bad cheques.
Robert Jordan Chiles, 32, pleaded guilty to an embezzlement charge last year.
According to a story published by the Associated Press earlier this month, the investigation was launched by the United States Postal Inspection Service, whose mission “is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail.”
On April 4, Chiles was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
INSUFFICIENT FUNDS
The court heard Chiles knowingly wrote the bad cheques—despite having insufficient funds—to purchase the stamps last spring. He has since been ordered to repay $21,431.79 USD to the U.S. Post Office; $6,800 USD to MidFirst Bank; and $484.48 USD to First United Bank. He was also ordered to forfeit 40,000 postage stamps found in his possession.