A federal jury found Rosemarie Peltier, a former postal clerk, guilty Tuesday of embezzling thousands of dollars from the United States Postal Service, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
The guilty verdict was handed down after a two-day trial in the District Court on St. Thomas.
Peltier, who had been employed at the Aubrey C. Ottley Post Office in Estate Thomas, was indicted by a federal grand jury for misappropriation of postal funds, embezzlement of government property, and false entries and reports of money.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Peltier devised a scheme to defraud and embezzle from the Postal Service by misusing the machine used to issue and record money orders. Peltier made false entries into the USPS computer system in an attempt to conceal the money she embezzled, Sharpe said. The evidence also showed that between 2010 and 2013, Peltier embezzled almost $30,000.
After deliberating for several hours, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts. Peltier was released on conditions, including an unsecured bond, pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 22. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and fines of as much as $250,000 on each count.
Sharpe commended the Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal Service in Puerto Rico and Special Agent in Charge Ricardo Medina, who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ishmael Meyers Jr.
