Postal workers facing bribery charges in Detroit, Michigan

Five postal workers in the US were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit last week facing corruption charges. The US Postal Service supervisors were accused of taking bribes in exchange for handing more than $13m of vehicle maintenance contracts to a private contractor in Ohio and Michigan.

US Attorney Barbara L McQuade alleged that the five supervisors took cash and other offerings to direct repair and maintenance work on USPS vehicles to the private contractor.

The five indicted individuals were named last week as Denny Robinson, 35, a supervisor at the USPS vehicle maintenance facility (VMF) in Detroit at the time; Bruce Plumb, 61, then an acting manager of the VMF in Detroit; Gregory Gorski, 47, then acting manager of the VMF in Ann Arbor; Jeffery Adams, 50, then manager of the VMF in Akron; and Mancer Holmes, 49, who was at the time lead automotive technician at the bulk mail center in Allen Park, and lead mechanic at the VMF in Detroit.

The supervisors in question have now been placed on leave by the USPS, except for Plumb, who has retired.

The case against the five individuals covers incidents said to have taken place as far back as 2004. As well as thousands of dollars in cash, the charges suggest the supervisors accepted lap dances, prostitutes, vehicle parts and free service work on cars, tickets to sports events and other bonuses.

Those charged now face up to 15 years in jail for the offences.

The Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General said the USPS lets out around $11bn to $12bn of contracts each year, “an amount that provides opportunities for fraud”.

Elizabeth A. Farcht, the Special Agent in Charge of the Postal Service OIG’s Eastern Area, under whose direction the investigation began, said: “These five postal employees, charged with managing multi-million dollar vehicle maintenance contracts, betrayed the public’s confidence in the Postal Service by taking bribes and kickbacks. Their criminal actions ultimately result in higher contract costs for the Postal Service. The OIG appreciates the efforts by the United States Attorney’s Office in bringing this scheme to an end.”

Though not named by the federal authorities, the vehicle maintenance firm involved in the case was said on Friday by The Detroit Free Press, and others including Associated Press, to be Metro Diesel, which continues to work on USPS vehicles while the case is being heard by the federal grand jury.

The Detroit News on Friday linked the indicted Bruce Plumb to a 1993 shooting at Dearborn Post Office, Michigan. Plumb was reportedly injured in the incident, and also received some blame from colleagues at the time for inciting Lawrence Jasion to open fire on postal workers, leaving two dead and two wounded.

“It’ll all come out in the wash,” Plumb told The Detroit News while awaiting a hearing inside federal court on Friday. He declined further comment.