United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

FORMER USPS LETTER CARRIER SENTENCED
TO 18 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR STEALING GOVERNMENT FUNDS

Defendant Claimed Reimbursement for More than 500,000
Miles Driven to/from Doctor’s Appointments in Workers’ Compensation Claim

DALLAS — Keldrick Hamilton, 34, of Desoto, Texas, was sentenced yesterday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $230,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for stealing government funds related to Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP) claims he filed, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, in September 2002, Hamilton, who worked as a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier at the Joe Pool Station in Dallas, filed for workers’ compensation after injuring a foot while delivering mail. The OWCP allows federal employees who sustain on-the-job injuries to receive medical payments and compensation benefits, including reimbursement for medically-related travel. His claim was accepted and he began visiting medical providers in late 2002.

Hamilton admitted, however, that from January 2007 through mid-November 2010, he defrauded the DOL OWCP by fraudulently claiming approximately $230,000 in mileage reimbursements, representing approximately 500,000 miles driven, for physician and rehabilitation appointments he did not attend. In fact, during that time frame, he did not visit any medical or rehabilitation facility, and thus did not incur any mileage costs.

The investigation was handled by the DOL-Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wiley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Toussaint prosecuted.

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