Florida – A former Tampa postal employee has been sentenced for stealing nearly $400,000 in federal tax refund checks from the mail, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has announced.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew last week sentenced Kevin Mark Streeter, Jr., 38, of Tampa, to four years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy, receipt of stolen government property, and aggravated identity theft.
Streeter pleaded guilty on June 14, 2022.
According to court documents, Streeter was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at a mail processing center in Sarasota. He reportedly exploited his position by stealing approximately 40 federal tax refund checks from the U.S. mail that were en route to the intended taxpayers living in the Middle District of Florida.
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According to the USAO, Streeter and others then sold or attempted to sell the checks to third parties. The tax refund checks, issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, ranged in amounts from $4,000 to over $100,000, with an aggregate value of over $398,000.
“As a postal employee, Mr. Streeter should have been delivering the mail, not stealing it,” said Brian Payne, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates the consequences for individuals, especially those in a position of trust, who steal government funds and commit identity theft.”
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This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
