Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former U.S. Postal Inspector has been charged with stealing over $330,000 in cash from packages sent by elderly victims and then laundering the money and failing to report it to the IRS. The defendant, Scott Kelley, 51, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on 45 counts including wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft by a postal officer, theft of government money, money laundering, structuring to evade reporting requirements, and filing false tax returns. Kelley is expected to appear in federal court in Boston.
Kelley served as a Postal Inspector at the Boston Division headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and led units responsible for investigating mail fraud and mail theft between 2015 and August 2023. According to the indictment, he misused his position during his work with the Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT) program—a nationwide effort to stop scams that targeted elderly Americans with fake sweepstakes or lottery winnings. These scams persuaded victims to send cash through the mail under false pretenses.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and August 2023, Kelley directed postal employees to intercept nearly 2,000 packages flagged as likely containing funds from scam victims and have them sent directly to him. He allegedly opened parcels suspected of containing cash and kept the money inside.
Seven identified victims—whose average age was 75—mailed amounts ranging from $1,400 to $19,100 after being deceived by scammers. None of these victims recovered their funds or packages. In one instance detailed in the indictment, Kelley reportedly met with a victim in person and told them he did not know what happened to their package and blamed them for mailing cash.
Kelley is also accused of using another employee’s keypad code to access an evidence vault at USPIS headquarters where he stole $7,000 from an evidence locker using another inspector’s key. He allegedly wrote a memo blaming this theft on a direct report and later lied during an internal investigation about the missing funds.
Prosecutors allege Kelley deposited almost $340,000 in stolen cash into various bank accounts while attempting to hide its origin. He used methods such as buying postal money orders—sometimes listing relatives as purchasers—and making multiple small deposits across different banks on separate dates.
The indictment details how some of the stolen funds were spent: nearly $20,500 for a pool patio installation; thousands more for heating the pool; installing granite countertops; outdoor lighting; bar drinks during Caribbean cruises; and over $15,000 for sexual services from escorts contacted during workdays.
Members of the public who believe they may be victims are encouraged to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov or report suspected mail fraud online or via phone at (877) 876-2455.
If convicted on all counts—including wire fraud which carries up to 20 years in prison per count—Kelley faces significant prison time and fines as determined by federal sentencing guidelines.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael Ray, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Professional Responsibility, Technical and Sensitive Operations Field Office, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today.”
“Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.”
“The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.”
