Texas, Colorado defendants sentenced in $1.5 million USPS bribery scheme
A bribery scheme spanning Texas and Colorado led to federal prison sentences for four defendants who pleaded guilty to a $1.5 million scheme tied to U.S. Postal Service contracts.
Prosecutors say two USPS employees solicited and accepted roughly $1.5 million in kickbacks from trucking company owners in exchange for helping secure about $15 million in postal service contracts.
According to court documents, former USPS Senior Network Analyst Zechariah Yi, 52, and employee Tai Ryoung Rho, 51, both of Aurora, Colorado, worked with Wan Jin Yoon, 51, of Plano, and Hong Jin Yoon, 48, of Denver, who owned the trucking companies that benefited from the scheme.
"The defendants fraudulently secured a government contract in a scheme that involved paying kickbacks to government employees, who misused their positions of trust with the U.S. Postal Service for personal gain," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to federal charges: Rho, Wan Yoon, and Hong Yoon each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; Yi pled guilty to receiving a bribe by a public official.
U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer handed down sentences on March 26 and 27.
Yi received 42 months, Rho 30 months, Wan Yoon 24 months and Hong Yoon 3 months in prison.
The group also agreed to forfeit more than $300,000 in cash and two vehicles.
"The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner," said Kevin Cloninger, Executive Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. "When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by Special Agents with the USPS OIG."
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said the defendants "resorted to bribery and corruption simply to line their own pockets."
Federal investigators said the case highlights ongoing efforts to crack down on public corruption and fraud involving federal agencies.