Seekonk Postmaster pleads guilty to theft of government funds

A former Postmaster in Seekonk has pleaded guilty to stealing over $19,000 from the United States Postal Service (USPS) by issuing fraudulent no-fee money orders. Bethany LeBlanc, 48, of Seekonk, entered her plea to one count of theft of government money before U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin, who scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2025.

LeBlanc was arrested and charged in May 2025. She had served as the Postmaster of the Seekonk Post Office from November 2023 until about February 2025. Before that role, she held several positions within USPS including carrier, window clerk, and customer service manager.

As Postmaster, LeBlanc was authorized to issue and approve no-fee money orders—financial instruments created by USPS for paying postal-related expenses without charging a fee. According to authorities, LeBlanc generated 25 such money orders totaling approximately $19,917 and made them payable to herself.

To conceal the thefts, LeBlanc presented false invoices for USPS expenses to clerks at the Seekonk Post Office who then issued her the money orders. In two instances, she wrote “Fire Dept. Box” in the memo section to make it appear that funds were used for legitimate post office expenses. On other occasions, she listed names of relatives and associates on the money orders to disguise their true source. Investigators said she spent thousands of dollars from these proceeds at casinos.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing decisions are made by federal judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.

“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, is prosecuting the case.”