Lorenzo E. Pugh

Officers from the 3^rd District have arrested and charged Lorenzo E. Pugh, age 32, of the 5800 block of Cherrywood Lane in Greenbelt, with theft offenses related to Pugh stealing mailed property while working as a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier in Silver Spring.

On January 2, 3^rd District officers responded to the Bonanza Coins shop located at 940 Wayne Avenue in downtown Silver Spring for the report of an individual attempting to sell two coins worth a total of $2,900.  The coin shop’s owner stated to police that the original owner of the coins had previously sent an email to local coin shops advising the shops to be on the lookout for these particular coins.  That email further stated that both coins had been recently sold and shipped to a buyer, but the buyer reported that he/she never received the coins.  The coins were then reported to the USPS as lost in the mail shipment.

During the investigation, 3^rd District patrol officers determined that the individual who was attempting to sell the coins at the coin shop was not involved in the theft of the coins.  Further investigation by officers identified Pugh as the suspect who initially stole the coins and that Pugh worked as a USPS mail carrier with a delivery route in Silver Spring.

Third District patrol officers, working with USPS Office of Inspector General Special Agents interviewed Pugh regarding the stolen coins. During the interview, Pugh admitted to stealing the coins as well as stealing additional mailed property while on his delivery route.

Third District patrol officers and USPS special agents searched Pugh’s home and located multiple pieces of previously mailed property that Pugh had stolen while on his mail route.   Investigators have determined that Pugh stole the items while making deliveries on his mail route between March 2019 and January 2020.

Pugh was transported to the Central Processing Unit where he was charged with theft-related offenses, to include theft scheme: $1,500 to under $25,000.  Pugh was released after posting a $5,000 bond.

USPS News Link 1/27/20

USPS employee deals update. Postal Service employees can further their education through the organization’s partnership with Southern New Hampshire University, which now includes access to the school’s College for America program.

The university’s program offers specialized degrees that are designed to meet the needs of the USPS front-line workforce with approachable, competency-based learning.

The current term started Jan. 6 for undergraduate programs. Graduate programs began Jan. 20.

The Employee Deals LiteBlue page has more information on this program and others available to USPS employees.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors will meet Feb. 6, 2020, in open session at Postal Service headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC. The public is welcome to observe the meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET in the Benjamin Franklin Room on the 11^th floor. The Board is expected to discuss the following items:

1. Remarks of the Chairman
2. Remarks of the Postmaster General and CEO
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Committee Reports
5. FY2020 Integrated Financial Plan
6. Quarterly Financial Report
7. Quarterly Service Performance Report
8. Approval of Tentative Agenda for April 1 Meeting
9. Adjournment

A public comment period will begin immediately following the adjournment of the open session on Feb. 6. During the public comment period, which shall not exceed 30 minutes, members of the public may comment on any item or subject listed on the agenda for the open session above. Registration of speakers at the public comment period is required. Speakers may register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BOG-02-06-2020. Onsite registration will be available until thirty minutes before the meeting starts. No more than three minutes shall be allotted to each speaker. The time allotted to each speaker will be determined after registration closes. Participation in the public comment period is governed by 39 C.F.R. 232.1(n).

Open session meetings of the Board of Governors are available on live audio webcasts at http://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/briefings/welcome.htm. Three hours after the conclusion of the open session meeting, a recorded audio file will be available for listening. In compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the audio webcast will be open-captioned.

Financial Briefing
Following the Board’s open meeting on Feb. 6, Postmaster General & CEO Megan J. Brennan and Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett will host a telephone/web conference call to discuss the financial results in more detail. The call will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and is open to the news media and all other interested parties.

How to Participate:
Important Notice: To ensure your computer is set up to join the event, click on the link www.webex.com/lp/jointest/

US/Canada Attendee Dial-in: 844-340-4622
Conference ID: 3738718

Attendee Direct URL:
https://usps.webex.com/usps/onstage/g.php?MTID=e784cc54f36f90b61f20f0cf0ec39f41f

If you cannot join using the direct link above, please use the alternate logins below:
Alternate URL: https://usps.webex.com
Event Number: 825 198 437

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

Contact: Dave Partenheimer
202-268-2599
david.a.partenheimer@usps.gov
usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

Related Links

http://www.usps.com

NBC Los Angeles – A Compton woman who masqueraded as her dead mother to collect $151,450 in benefits while she was on probation in an earlier case was sentenced Monday to complete 75 hours of community service after the judge determined that her various medical problems would place an undue burden on the prison system if she were to be ordered behind bars.

Rosalind Mouton-Auberry, 68, pleaded guilty in July to federal fraud charges for impersonating her late mother for 11 years in order to collect survivor benefits stemming from her stepfather’s employment with the U.S. Postal Service.

“She was not using the money to live an extravagant lifestyle,” U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney said from the bench. “She was just trying to survive.” Read more 

A postal worker convicted of accepting money from a drug dealer to funnel packages of marijuana to drug dealer has been sentenced to three years of probation.

Fred Rivers, 48, of Newark, also received one year of home confinement, according to court records.

Rivers, who was fired by the U.S. Postal Service, will be allowed to leave his home to report to his new job at an acute nursing and rehabilitation center, according to his attorney Brooke Barnett.

“Mr. Rivers accepts full responsibility and acknowledges that however small his role may have been in this underlying scheme, there are consequences,” Barnett said in a statement. “In light of it all he will not allow this to define him and will continue to give back to his community.”

Rivers worked for the postal service for nearly 30 years and previously was honorably discharged from the U.S National Guard, the lawyer added. More at NJ.com

Original PEN coverage below:

DOJ – 7/16/19 – NEWARK, N.J. – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier was convicted today of conspiring to defraud the United States by getting paid to assist a drug dealer in receiving packages of marijuana through the mails, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Fred Rivers, 47, of Newark, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by interfering with and obstructing the lawful functions of the USPS to properly deliver only legal and permissible substances and materials through the mails, and for USPS employees to receive only lawful compensation. The jury deliberated for one day, following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. The jury acquitted Rivers of one count of taking bribes.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

Rivers was a mail carrier at the USPS Springfield Station in Newark. From October 2016 through September 2017, he accepted cash payments from Glenn Blackstone in exchange for intercepting packages containing pounds of marijuana that were sent through the mail. Rivers removed the packages – which were addressed to fake names, but real addresses in Newark – and delivered them to Blackstone in the employee parking lot of the Springfield Station. Rivers used a scanner to falsely indicate in USPS records that the packages had been delivered to the addresses on the labels. Rivers received cash payments of approximately $100 from Blackstone for each delivery. Rivers began delivering the intercepted parcels to Blackstone in exchange for cash after another mail carrier, Leonard Gresham, asked Rivers to make the deliveries when Gresham was unavailable to do so.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense. Rivers is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29, 2019.

 On Feb. 13, 2018, Gresham pleaded guilty to bribery for his role in the scheme; on April 17, 2018, Blackstone pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking and bribery. Both are awaiting sentencing before Judge Salas.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the USPS, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s verdict.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division.

USPS Press Release – The Department of Homeland Security’s timely report released today makes clear the urgent need to combat counterfeit and pirated goods entering the United States.  The United States Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are proud to work with DHS and others across law enforcement to remove counterfeit and pirated goods from the mailstream.

DOJ – 1/28/20 – Kimberly A. Kirchner, 37, Atlanta, Kan., is charged with embezzling funds from the U.S. Postal Service while she was an employee. The crime is alleged to have occurred during a period from Sept. 23, 2019, to Jan. 3, 2020, in Cowley County, Kan.

If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old resident of Houston has been charged with five counts of theft of public money and five counts of issuing postal money orders without receiving payment, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Tranese Nicole Mitchell is set to appear before U.S. District Judge Dena H. Palermo this afternoon.

A federal grand jury returned the 10-count indictment Dec. 10.

Mitchell was employed as a lead sales and service clerk at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Houston, according to the charges. During that time, the indictment alleges she committed the theft and improper issuance of money orders from approximately June 2018 through December 2018.

Each count of theft of public money carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, issuing postal money orders without receiving payment carries a possible sentence of up to five years, upon conviction. Each conviction also carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

USPS – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

NEWARK, N.J. – DOJ 1/30/20 – A Union County man was arrested today for bribing a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee to steal check books, credit cards, and electronics from the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jabre Beauvoir, 21, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bribery and one count of receiving stolen mail. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between May 2019 and September 2019, Beauvoir offered bribes to USPS employees to steal envelopes and packages containing check books, credit cards, and electronics, such as Apple iPhones. Text messages showed Beauvoir instructing a USPS employees to look for certain types of mailings containing material to be stolen.

The bribery charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The receipt of stolen mail charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Both charges are additionally punishable by a maximum $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, and special agents with the USPS-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the U.S. Secret Service, New Jersey State Police, the Elizabeth Police Department, and the Secaucus Police Department for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, PA – DOJ 1/30/20 – A former resident of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $37,590 in restitution to the United States Postal Service, on his conviction of conspiracy, theft of government property and uttering and possessing false securities, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on John Martell, 39.

According to information presented to the Court, between approximately April 23, 2018 and June 11, 2018, Martell and his codefendant, Holly Lovasik, who was a former employee of the United States Postal Service, engaged in a stamp theft scheme in order to pay a debt they owed to their drug dealer. The coconspirators purchased $34,800 in stamps from approximately 28 different Post Offices in the Western District of Pennsylvania, using checks that were written on closed accounts and checks that belonged to two deceased doctors that were falsely altered, completed and signed. Martell and Lovasik then re-sold the stamps for cash, predominantly at a pawn shop in Tarentum, PA. The court was further informed that, in addition to the stamp theft, the United States Post Office incurred $2,790 in check surcharges, for a total loss of $37,590.

Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Martell.

WASHINGTON — As the nation prepares to observe Black History Month, the U.S. Postal Service today issued the 43rd Black Heritage stamp, honoring one of America’s most respected journalists, Gwen Ifill. The dedication ceremony was held at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, where she was a lifelong member.

“Gwen Ifill was a remarkable trailblazer who broke through gender and racial barriers,” said Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman, who served as the dedicating official. “The Postal Service is proud to celebrate Gwen’s contribution as a remarkable journalist with this beautiful commemorative Forever stamp. Gwen was truly a national treasure, and so richly deserving of today’s honor.”

Joining Stroman to dedicate the stamp were Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor, PBS NewsHour; Eric Holder, partner, Covington & Burling Law Firm and former Attorney General of the United States; Michele Norris-Johnson, journalist and former National Public Radio host; and Ifill’s brothers Roberto (Bert) Ifill, educator and college analyst; Rev. Earle Ifill, member of the Atlanta North-Georgia Annual Conference of the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and Ifill’s cousin, Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

“The Ifill family is thrilled that our sister, cousin and aunt has received this signal tribute to her legacy as a truth-teller, pioneer and exemplar,” said Bert Ifill, Gwen’s brother and spokesperson for the family. “As a reporter and moderator, Gwen was dedicated to two principles: getting the story right and getting the right stories out. As a mentor, supportive friend and family member, she was determined, not only to open doors for those of us previously locked out of opportunity, but also to provide floor plans to help us find our way through. She is forever in our hearts, and we are forever in her debt.”

Also, participating in the stamp dedication ceremony were Dorothy Tucker, broadcast journalist and president, National Association of Black Journalists; Rev. William Lamar IV, senior pastor, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church; and D.C. Washington, singer, conductor, member of Immanuel Bible Church and the nationally known Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C.

The Black Heritage stamp series, introduced in 1978, also includes Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Height, Madam C.J. Walker, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Lena Horne and Gregory Hines. The stamp art features a photo of Ifill taken in 2008 by photographer Robert Severi. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #GwenIfillForever and #BlackHeritageStamps. Followers of the Postal Service’s Facebook page can view video of the ceremony at facebook.com/USPS.

Background on Gwen Ifill

Among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism, Ifill was a trailblazer in the profession.

After graduating from college in 1977, Ifill’s first job as a journalist was at The Boston Herald American. She later worked at The Baltimore Evening Sun, The Washington Post and The New York Times, where she was a White House correspondent and covered Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992.

In 1994, Ifill moved to NBC, where she covered politics in the Washington bureau. Five years later, she joined PBS as senior political correspondent for “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week,” becoming the first woman and first African American to moderate a major television news-analysis show. During her career, Ifill covered seven presidential campaigns and, in 2004, she became the first African American female journalist to moderate a vice-presidential debate. She also moderated the 2008 vice-presidential debate. In 2013, Ifill became part of the first all-female team to anchor a daily national broadcast news show, “PBS NewsHour.” Ifill died in 2016.

Among Ifill’s honors were the Radio Television Digital News Foundation’s Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award (2006), Harvard’s Shorenstein Center’s Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism (2009) and induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame (2012). In 2015, she was awarded the Fourth Estate Award by the National Press Club. She received numerous honorary degrees and served on the boards of the News Literacy Project and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which renamed its Press Freedom Award in her honor.

The 2016 John Chancellor Award was posthumously awarded to Ifill by the Columbia Journalism School. In 2017, the Washington Press Club Foundation and “PBS NewsHour” created a journalism fellowship named for Ifill. Her alma mater, Simmons University, opened the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities in the fall of 2018.

The Gwen Ifill Black Heritage stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Videos of most stamp ceremonies will be available on facebook.com/usps.

Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shopstamps under “Collectors.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Beginning Feb. 9, managers and supervisors who use paper forms for safety observations can enter this data through the Informed Mobility Safety Observation Tool’s desktop version.

USPS News Link – The Postal Service will add several capabilities to its Informed Mobility Safety Observation Tool (IMSOT) on Feb. 9.

The tool, which USPS introduced last summer, automates the employee safety observation process for managers and supervisors.

IMSOT notifies managers and supervisors when an observation is due and allows them to complete the process electronically using an online dashboard that also provides compliance updates, analytics and other useful data. This allows the Postal Service to reduce accidents, evaluate workplace safety initiatives and make improvements.

During the initial rollout, only managers and supervisors with USPS-issued mobile devices could use the tool.

Beginning Feb. 9, managers and supervisors who use paper forms for safety observations can enter this information through the desktop version of IMSOT — allowing every manager and supervisor in the organization to track their safety-related observations.

Other improvements will include a feature that allows managers and supervisors to use their mobile device’s camera to scan an employee’s badge to capture his or her employee identification number.

Also, beginning Feb. 9, managers and supervisors can go to the Blue home page, type IMSOT into the URL bar and be taken directly to the tool’s dashboard.

“The Informed Mobility Safety Observation Tool is a valuable resource for the Postal Service, and we want to make it as easy as possible to use,” said Safety Director Linda DeCarlo. “Through these new capabilities, managers and supervisors can enter required observations, monitor compliance and track common findings so that proactive safety efforts can be taken before accidents occur.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Matthew Core, 38, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty Monday to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of reproduced U.S. Postal Service keys, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between February and August 2018, Core participated in a scheme to defraud banks in which he and others used counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys to break into residential mailboxes throughout Northern California. The scheme participants stole U.S. Mail from these mailboxes and pulled out bankcards, personal and business checks, and government-issued IDs, all belonging to the mail-theft victims. They then altered some of the checks and bankcards with the intent to use them to defraud financial institutions.

In one instance, in April 2018, Core deposited an altered check issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank into his own bank account at an ATM in Vallejo. By depositing the altered check, Core knowingly used the identity of a mail-theft victim without legal authority. Core committed these acts with the intent to defraud JP Morgan Chase, which was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

On Aug. 29, 2018, Core and others were arrested in Granite Bay. At that time, Core possessed at least four counterfeit U.S. Postal Service keys and two U.S. Postal Service locks. Core possessed these items with the intent to commit identity theft and bank fraud, including using them to steal U.S. Mail. On that same date, Core also possessed at least 15 unauthorized bankcards.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

Core is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on April 27. Core faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for the bank fraud, 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of mail keys, and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed a fine of up to $250,000 for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

PROVIDENCE – A Florida man pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to bank fraud, ID theft, and mail theft charges, admitting that he executed a scheme to order then steal debit cards and PINs from mailboxes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, then used them at ATMs in both states to withdraw funds from individuals’ bank accounts without their knowledge.

Stacy Moore, 48, of Miami Beach, FL, admitted that as part of the scheme replacement debit cards were ordered with the use of stolen personal identifying information belonging to bank account holders. The new debit cards and PINs were sent to the account holders, then stolen from the account holders’ mailboxes upon delivery by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The fraudulently obtained debit cards and PINs were used to make unauthorized bank withdrawals.

Account holders were unaware that replacement debit cards and PINs had been requested.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, from December 11, 2018, to February 10, 2019, Moore used fraudulently obtained debit cards and PINs to make multiple withdrawals from at least six individuals’ personal bank accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

As part of the scheme, replacement debit cards and PINs were ordered via telephone without the knowledge of bank account holders. They were delivered via the United States Postal Service to the account holders’ homes. An Informed Delivery account through the USPS website was established for each account holder’s address, allowing for notification when the replacement debit cards and PINs would be delivered. After delivery, the debit cards and PINs were stolen.

In court today, Moore admitted that among his fraudulent activities were 17 unauthorized ATM withdrawals on December 11 and 12, 2018, at ATMs in Boston. Withdrawals totaling $9,600 were made with the use of two fraudulently obtained debit cards and PINs, both in the name of the same bank customer.  Moore also admitted that he made 10 unauthorized withdrawals totaling $6,000 on February 12 and 13, 2019, from ATMs in Middletown and Newport with the use of fraudulently obtained debit cards and PINs in the name of another bank customer.

Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Moore pled guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count each of aggravated identity theft and theft of mail, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division Joseph W. Cronin, and Craig A. Marech, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service.

Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2020.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman thanks the East Greenwich, West Warwick, Barrington and Middletown Police Departments, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

• Revenue of $19.4 billion; package revenue of $6.6 billion
• Net loss of $748 million reflects continued systemic challenges
• Work hour reduction of 6.4 million demonstrates continued aggressive management actions

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Postal Service reported total revenue of $19.4 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 (October 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019), a decrease of $363 million, or 1.8 percent, compared to the same quarter last year.

Due to continuing secular declines in transaction mail, First-Class Mail revenue declined by $168 million, or 2.5 percent, on a volume decline of 571 million pieces, or 3.8%, and Periodicals revenue declined by $24 million, or 7.7 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Marketing Mail revenue declined by $254 million, or 5.4 percent, on a volume decline of 1.7 billion pieces, or 7.9 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. The majority of volume declines in Marketing Mail were due to high levels of political and election mail in October and November of 2018, that were not replicated during the same period in 2019.

Meanwhile, Shipping and Packages revenue increased by $146 million, or 2.3 percent, despite a volume decline of 84 million pieces, or 4.6 percent, compared to the same quarter last year.

“We demonstrated once again the power of our unrivaled network and our ability to provide solutions for our customers while growing package volumes during our peak period. Package revenue for the quarter grew by $146 million. However, overall volumes and mail revenues for the quarter were down, and we continue to face systemic profitability challenges due to our restrictive business model and mandated costs,” said Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan. “We will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to generate profitable revenues and drive greater operational efficiencies under our current structure, while also seeking legislative and regulatory reforms to allow the Postal Service to better invest in our business, compete for customers, control our costs and serve the evolving needs of the public.”

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, total work hours declined, compensation and benefits expense declined by $190 million, and total expenses were down approximately $1.1 billion. However, excluding non-cash fair value adjustments to the workers’ compensation liability, total expenses were essentially flat compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2019.

“While many of our network costs are fixed to meet our universal service obligations, we continue to aggressively manage operating expenditures under management’s control,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “The Postal Service reduced work hours by 6.4 million relative to the same quarter last year, helping us to reduce overall compensation expenses.”

The net loss for the quarter totaled $748 million, a decrease in net loss of $789 million, compared to a net loss of $1.5 billion for the same quarter last year. Controllable loss for the quarter was $387 million, compared to a controllable loss of $103 million for the same quarter last year.

First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Operating Revenue and Volume by Service Category Compared to Prior Year
The following table presents revenue and volume by category for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018:

Selected First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results of Operations and Controllable Loss
This news release references controllable loss, which is not calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Controllable loss is defined as net loss adjusted for items outside of management’s control and non-recurring items. These adjustments include workers’ compensation expenses caused by actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, and the amortization of Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) unfunded liabilities.

The following table presents selected results of operations and reconciles GAAP net loss to controllable loss and illustrates the loss from ongoing business activities without the impact of non-controllable items for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018:

Financial results in the Form 10-Q are available at http://about.usps.com/what/financials/

Financial Briefing
Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan and CFO and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett will host a telephone/Web conference call to discuss the financial results in more detail. The call will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET on February 6, 2020, and is open to news media and all other interested parties.

How to Participate:

US/Canada Attendee Dial-in: 844-340-4622 Conference ID: 3738718

Attendee Direct URL: https://usps.webex.com/usps/onstage/g.php?MTID=e784cc54f36f90b61f20f0cf0ec39f41f

Alternate URL: https://usps.webex.com
Event Number: 825 198 437

The briefing is also available on live audio webcast (listen only) at:
http://about.usps.com/what/financials/briefings/welcome.htm

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

From USPS News Link

The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2020’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2019). Here are some highlights:

• Revenue. Total revenue was $19.4 billion, down 1.8 percent from the same period one year earlier. First-Class Mail revenue declined 2.5 percent, while Marketing Mail revenue fell 5.4 percent. Shipping and packages revenue increased 2.3 percent.

• Volume. Total volume was 37.8 billion pieces, down 6.2 percent from the same period one year earlier. First-Class Mail volume declined 3.8 percent, while Marketing Mail volume was down 7.9 percent, primarily due to the high level of political and election mail in October 2018 and November 2018 that was not replicated during the same months in 2019. Shipping and packages volume declined 4.6 percent.

• Expenses. Total operating expenses were $20.1 billion. Excluding non-cash fair value adjustments to the workers’ compensation liability, total expenses were essentially flat compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2019.

• Net loss. The net loss for the quarter totaled nearly $748 million, a decrease in net loss of $789 million compared to a net loss of $1.5 billion for the same quarter one year earlier.

“We demonstrated once again the power of our unrivaled network and our ability to provide solutions for our customers while growing package volumes during our peak period. Package revenue for the quarter grew by $146 million. However, overall volumes and mail revenues for the quarter were down, and we continue to face systemic profitability challenges due to our restrictive business model and mandated costs,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan.

“We will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to generate profitable revenues and drive greater operational efficiencies under our current structure, while also seeking legislative and regulatory reforms to allow the Postal Service to better invest in our business, compete for customers, control our costs and serve the evolving needs of the public.”

The Postal Service’s financial results in the Form 10-Q are available at usps.com.

USPS 2/7/20 – H.R. 2382 would eliminate the requirement, imposed on the Postal Service in the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, to prefund our Retiree Health Benefit (RHB) Fund as well as forgiving all of our current defaulted prefunding payments.  This elimination of a requirement faced by no other public or private entity would improve our balance sheet and reduce our future reported losses.  It would also permit us to continue to make RHB premium payments from the RHB fund.

The Postal Service believes H.R. 2382 would be an important part of the legislative and regulatory changes – along with substantial self-help efforts by the Postal Service – that are necessary to secure our long-term financial stability. However, by itself it would neither reduce the underlying RHB liability nor improve our cash flow or long-term financial position.  Most importantly, the bill would not impact the liquidity crisis that we will be facing in the next few years – a crisis that will literally threaten our ability to deliver the mail.

For the Postal Service to continue to meet our universal service obligations and serve as the backbone of the nation’s delivery infrastructure, Congress will need to make a series of legislative and regulatory changes, including the changes envisioned by H.R. 2382, that will allow the USPS to transform our business model to ensure our long-term financial stability.

The Postal Service looks forward to working with Congress to craft such a plan.

USPS News Link – 2/7/20 – If you use eBuy2 to purchase supplies and services for USPS, you’ll want to know about important changes that will occur before the requisition system is replaced by eBuy Plus at the end of the month.

Feb. 21 will be the last day that eBuy2 will be available for new “on catalog” and “off catalog” orders, except for the following:

• Solution for Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM) items: Money orders, ReadyPost items, expedited shipping supplies and miscellaneous mailing tags and labels
• Material Distribution Center items: Tools, supplies, forms, publications, posters and related items and any item shipped from the Material Distribution Center in Topeka, KS
• Emergency supplies: Water, ice melt and biohazard detection system cartridges

Beginning Feb. 29, the Postal Service’s new requisition system — eBuy Plus — will be open to all users. You can use the new system to purchase on catalog and off catalog items, along with utility and equal employment opportunity invoice submissions.

The eBuy2 system will be available until March 31 for reporting and historical transaction purposes. You should download all necessary data from the system before this date.

The Postal Service wants all eBuy2 users to plan ahead to ensure they aren’t caught short-handed from Feb. 21-29. If you must place an emergency order during this period, you must contact the buying group for the needed item and place the order with the appropriate supplier.

A list of buying groups is available on the USPS Help website.

While the system will not accept new off-catalog requests, the system will continue to process requisitions seeking approvals until March 20. Any off-catalog requisition not fully approved by March 20 will suspend, and the user will be required to write a new off-catalog requisition in the new eBuy Plus system.

The eBuy Plus Blue page has more information, including FAQs and a detailed plan to transition from eBuy2 to eBuy Plus.

If you have questions, email them to eBuyPlus@usps.gov.

2/11/20 – The West Loop area in Chicago is considered one of the hottest neighborhoods on the edges of downtown, but a recent rash of burglaries at several apartments has residents alarmed.

“I was shocked,” said Fred Stein, a condo owner and board member. “They were in and out very quickly. Clearing out the mailboxes and gone.”

Surveillance video captured thieves entering Stein’s West Loop condo and taking off with mail and packages. Residents said what was even more shocking was the fact that there was no forced entry into the building–instead, what appears to be the use of a U.S. Postal Service master key to open the front door. More at NBC Chicago

Essex County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Bribing Mail Carriers to Deliver Parcels Containing Marijuana