DENVER - Caroline Zarate Boyle, age 59, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was indicted last week for using a forged writing to defraud the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge (USPS OIG) Scott Pierce announced. Boyle was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 16, 2017, and appeared before a federal magistrate judge last Friday morning (March 24, 2017) for arraignment. Earlier she was advised of her rights and the charges pending against her. She was then released on bond.
Boyle, a U.S. Postal Service employee, appeared before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court earlier this month in response to a summons on a complaint alleging that she faked having cancer in order to claim over 100 days of sick leave and be allowed to work from home. She effectuated this fraud by forging several doctor notes regarding her alleged treatment and e-mailing them to her supervisor. However, employees from the offices of the doctors involved told special agents from the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General that the notes were fake and Boyle had never received treatment there. Some of the notes had inaccurate information, including misspellings of the name of the doctor she was allegedly seeing.
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is excellent at rooting out fraud and conducting thorough, righteous investigations," said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “Thanks to them, Americans don’t have to tolerate this kind of cheating."
Scott Pierce, USPS OIG Special Agent in Charge, Contract Fraud Investigations Division, said, “The American public expects employees of the U.S. Postal Service to be honest and forthright in their professional endeavors. For employees who choose otherwise, OIG special agents aggressively investigate allegations of criminal misconduct. In this instance, an employee fabricated medical documentation and other reports indicating she was being treated for a devastating disease, all of which were untrue. Fortunately, the actions of this employee are not indicative of the vast majority of U.S. Postal Service personnel who are dedicated, hard-working public servants."
Boyle has been charged with a one count of presenting a forged writing to the United States with the intent to defraud. This charge carries a penalty of up to ten years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Burrows.
The charges contained in the complaint and indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
