KENNER, La. — Prosecutors say a former New Orleans-area post office manager has admitted to stealing more than $630,000 in stamps and selling them online to support his gambling addiction.
News outlets report U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser says in a statement that 46-year-old Ryan Cortez pleaded guilty Friday to misappropriation of postal funds. Prosecutors say it’s one of the largest internal postal thefts in Postal Service history.
Cortez was a Kenner post office manager. Authorities had a warrant to search the Des Allemands resident’s home in October and arrested him after they found evidence connecting him to the stamp orders.
Court records say the postal service began investigating Cortez when PayPal and eBay notified officials that he was selling “significant quantities” of stamps.
It’s unclear if he has a lawyer who could comment.
