Postal Inspector Charged with Stealing from the Very Victims He Was Meant to Protect
In a disturbing case of betrayal of public trust, 51-year-old Scott Kelley of Massachusetts, a former U.S. postal investigator who once led the Mail Fraud Unit, now finds himself on the wrong side of the law. Kelley faces a staggering 45-count indictment including wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft, money laundering, and filing false tax returns. The accusations paint a picture of a law enforcement official who systematically preyed upon the very victims he was sworn to protect, allegedly stealing more than $330,000 from mailed packages and using the ill-gotten gains to fund a lavish lifestyle that included home renovations, vacations, and even escort services.
The scheme allegedly operated with calculated precision between 2019 and 2023, with Kelley sending deceptive emails to unsuspecting postal employees. He allegedly instructed them to intercept packages believed to contain cash sent by victims of a Jamaican lottery scam that primarily targeted elderly Americans. While postal workers were authorized to intercept suspicious packages, strict protocols required that any opened packages be processed with a second worker present, with the sender receiving a check for the full amount. Instead, according to prosecutors, Kelley requested nearly 2,000 packages be sent directly to him, where he allegedly stole the cash contents for personal use. The indictment identifies seven victims with an average age of 75 years old, with the eldest being 82. These vulnerable individuals had mailed between $1,400 and $19,100 each, believing they were securing lottery or sweepstakes winnings that would never materialize.
The alleged betrayal runs even deeper, as Kelley reportedly met with at least one victim and callously blamed them for their own loss, claiming their package wasn’t found and that “their loss was their own fault because they had mailed cash.” None of the victims recovered their packages or money. In a particularly egregious incident, Kelley allegedly used another postal inspector’s key—an employee who reported directly to him—to steal $7,000 from an evidence locker, then blamed that same employee for the theft. This pattern of exploitation represents a profound violation of the trust placed in him as a leader of both the Mail Fraud Unit (2015-2022) and later the Mail Theft Unit (2022-2023), positions that ironically made him responsible for investigating the very types of crimes he’s now accused of committing.
The Justice Department alleges that Kelley’s spending habits reveal the extent of his exploitation. Court documents detail how he reportedly spent $15,400 on sexual services from two escorts, sometimes during work hours, alongside $30,188 for swimming pool improvements including a new patio, lighting, and a granite countertop for his outdoor bar. He also allegedly spent $4,300 on a Caribbean cruise. To conceal his activities, prosecutors claim Kelley engaged in sophisticated money laundering tactics, purchasing postal money orders while hiding his identity as both purchaser and payee. He allegedly spread more than 60 bank deposits across four different accounts at two banks to avoid detection, demonstrating a calculated effort to cover his tracks while living well beyond his legitimate means.
The indictment represents the culmination of what must have been a shocking investigation for Kelley’s former colleagues. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service serves as the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, with a mission to protect mail, postal employees, and customers from criminal activity. The irony is palpable: a man once entrusted to protect vulnerable Americans from mail fraud is now accused of perpetrating an elaborate scheme against those same victims. The Jamaican lottery scam that Kelley allegedly exploited is well-known among postal investigators, targeting primarily elderly Americans who are told they’ve won prizes but must send money to claim their winnings. Rather than disrupting this predatory cycle, Kelley allegedly inserted himself as an additional layer of exploitation, creating a devastating double victimization for those who had already been deceived.
If convicted, Kelley faces potentially severe consequences for his alleged actions. The charges carry maximum sentences that could amount to decades in prison: up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud, money laundering, and mail fraud; 10 years for theft of government money; five years for each mail theft and structuring charge; and three years for each false tax return charge. Beyond the legal penalties, this case highlights the devastating impact when those entrusted with protecting the public abuse their positions of authority. The elderly victims, already defrauded once by international scammers, were allegedly victimized a second time by someone positioned to help them recover their losses. This breach of trust not only harms the direct victims but potentially undermines public confidence in the postal system and the dedicated investigators who work legitimately to protect it from criminal exploitation.
