USPS Workers Went Bowling, Gambling Using Agency Credit Cards

U.S. Postal Service employees used agency credit cards to pay for gambling sprees, bowling games and personal travel, according to a report in the Washington Examiner.

One manager used her card to withdraw $32,000 in cash to gamble, according to Freedom of Information Act documents obtained by the Examiner. Closed investigations by the USPS inspector general found the manager also used her card to rent cars for personal use, charging the agency a total of $45,000 in personal expenses. The employee repaid the money and took an early retirement offer.

A second employee also withdrew $2,400 from her agency card to gamble. She too repaid the debt after initially claiming she used her government card accidentally. She has since been fired.

Another USPS worker used his card to pay for $1,700 in personal hotel stays and his son’s bowling games, the Examiner reported. The employee blamed his malfeasance on the financial strain his divorce was placing on him.

One postal employee -- a postmaster in North Carolina -- took $8,500 in salary and travel advances to pay for fixes to her truck. The employee initially claimed to have paid USPS back but later admitted she submitted bad checks. She resigned in February 2013.

The Postal Service said the actions of a few do not represent its workforce of nearly 500,000.

“We take any claim of employee misconduct very seriously,” USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer told Government Executive. “Cases like this are thoroughly investigated and action is then taken to ensure compliance with Postal Service policies as well as applicable state and federal laws. Postal Service employees are hard-working, responsible and exceptional employees.”

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