A former U.S. Postal Inspector, Scott Kelley, 51, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with stealing more than $330,000 in cash from packages mailed by elderly victims. The indictment alleges that Kelley laundered the stolen money and failed to report it to the Internal Revenue Service. According to authorities, he used the funds for personal expenses such as home improvements, travel, and other services.
Kelley faces a 45-count federal indictment in Boston that includes charges of 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. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston.
As a Postal Inspector at the Boston Division headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Kelley led units responsible for investigating scams targeting seniors and vulnerable populations between 2015 and August 2023. During this time period he also oversaw efforts related to Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT), a nationwide program aimed at disrupting lottery scams originating from Jamaica that target U.S. residents with fraudulent promises of winnings.
The indictment states that between January 2019 and August 2023, Kelley allegedly used deceptive emails to have nearly 1,950 packages—flagged as likely sent by scam victims—intercepted and delivered directly to him. He is accused of opening parcels suspected of containing cash and stealing their contents.
Seven victims are identified in the indictment; all were elderly individuals who had been tricked into mailing cash ranging from $1,400 to $19,100 per parcel. The average age among these victims was 75 years old; one victim was 82 years old. None recovered their losses.
Kelley is also alleged to have accessed an evidence vault using another employee’s keypad code before stealing $7,000 from an evidence locker belonging to another inspector. He then wrote a memo blaming his direct report for the missing funds—a claim that triggered an internal investigation where Kelley allegedly lied about his involvement.
According to prosecutors’ allegations detailed in the charging document: “Kelley deposited and spent almost $340,000 cash – and did so in ways designed to hide the fact that he had stolen it.” These actions included buying postal money orders with nearly $160,000 of stolen funds—sometimes listing relatives as purchasers—and spreading over $130,000 across multiple bank accounts on different dates.
Some expenditures reportedly included payments for home improvements such as pool patio installation ($20,500), pool heating ($2,000), granite countertops ($2,800), outdoor lighting ($4,888), Caribbean cruise expenses ($4,300), and sexual services totaling $15,400 provided by escorts contacted during workdays.
Authorities encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim or has information regarding elder fraud scams linked with this case to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov or report suspected mail fraud online or via phone at (877) 876-2455.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “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.”
Sentences for each charge vary but could include up to 20 years’ imprisonment for wire fraud or mail fraud counts; up to five years for mail theft by a postal officer; up to ten years for theft of government money; up to twenty years for each count of money laundering; up to five years for structuring; and up three years per count for filing false tax returns—with fines ranging from $100,000–$500,000 depending on conviction specifics.
