A former U.S. Postal Inspector has been implicated in a scheme that allegedly swindled over $330,000 from packages sent by elderly people, investing in personal luxuries and maintaining a veil of normalcy. Scott Kelley, 51, from Pembroke, Mass., is facing a 45-count indictment, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Kelley's charges include wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft by a postal officer, and money laundering, amongst others.
Working out of the Boston Division headquarters, Kelley, who led both the Mail Fraud Unit and the Mail Theft Unit at different times, was responsible for guarding against scams that preyed on vulnerable seniors. Instead, encrypted in email requests to unsuspicious postal employees, Kelley diverted packages under the guise of intercepting potential scam mail, according to the indictment. It was alleged that the former inspector, from January 2019 until August 2023, succeeded in rerouting approximately 1,950 packages to his possession, opening those he suspected carried cash.
The victims, with an average age of 75, believed they were paying "fees" or "taxes" to claim supposed lottery winnings. Their deceived gestures of compliance translated into parcels filled with amounts ranging from $1,400 to $19,100—none of which were returned. Kelley is also accused of stealing $7,000 from an evidence locker, assigning blame to a direct report, and subsequently deceiving investigators.
Kelley's alleged expenditures of the stolen money touched the fringes of domestic luxury and moral turpitude, from a $20,500 pool patio installation to $15,400 spent on escort services. Officials say he broke down deposits to skirt bank detection, strategically spreading over $130,000 across 60 instances, obfuscating his tracks with multiple accounts at different banks.
For the victims or anyone affected by elder fraud, the authorities have provided an email for contact: [email protected], while suspected mail fraud can be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. With allegations this damning, the former postal inspector could face decades in federal prison if convicted, with sentences issued based on guidelines and statutory mandates.
