A former employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has admitted to embezzling more than $18,000. Christine Hedges, 47, from Brockton, entered a guilty plea to one count of theft of government money in a federal court in Boston. Her sentencing is set for June 18, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. Hedges was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
Hedges, who joined USPS around 2020, served as a Lead Sales & Service Associate in Brockton. Between October 2021 and August 2023, she executed a scheme to misappropriate USPS funds for personal gain. The scheme involved generating no-fee money orders without customer presence or request. Hedges took cash from her workstation and attempted to cover the theft with fraudulent money orders. She created around 64 fraudulent money orders, 11 of which were directed to her boyfriend or a family member. Surveillance footage from August 2023 captured Hedges removing cash from her drawer and pocketing it. In total, she embezzled approximately $18,939 in postal funds.
The theft charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, following U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay from the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is handling the prosecution.
