A United States Postal Service letter carrier was convicted at trial of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Max Eamiguel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Cissy Proctor, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), made the announcement.

Yvenel Clotaire, of West Palm Beach, was convicted yesterday, following a four-day federal jury trial in West Palm Beach, Florida of conspiring to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.

According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, Clotaire engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), while the defendant was working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service.  Clotaire provided coconspirators with the residential addresses of approximately 50 to 60 individuals on his postal route, to be used in furtherance of the scheme.  Fraudulent unemployment applications, using the addresses and stolen identities of postal customers, were then submitted to DEO and resulted in the issuance of Florida Visa debit cards.  The debit cards were mailed through interstate commerce to the residential addresses on the defendant’s postal route.  The cards were ultimately transferred to at least one other co-conspirator and used to make withdrawals from ATMs.  As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the State of Florida sustained approximately $90,000 in financial losses.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, USPIS and DEO.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov


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