FIVE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE SUPERVISORS INDICTED FOR TAKING BRIBES IN EXCHANGE FOR DIRECTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MAINTENANCE WORK ON POSTAL VEHICLES TO A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR

Five indictments were issued yesterday by a federal grand jury in Detroit, separately charging five U.S. Postal Service supervisors with conspiring with a private contractor to take bribes in exchange for directing over $13 million in maintenance work on Postal Service vehicles to a private contractor in Ohio and Michigan, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Torri Piper of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) and Elizabeth A. Farcht, the Special Agent in Charge of the Postal Service OIG’s Eastern Area.

The five Postal Service employees charged are: Denny Robinson, 35, of Brownstown Township, Michigan; Bruce Plumb, 61, of Brownstown, Michigan; Gregory Gorski, 47, of Canton, Michigan; Jeffery Adams, 50, Copley, Ohio; and Mancer Holmes, 49, of Farmington Hills, Michigan. When the defendants took their bribes, Robinson was employed as a Supervisor at the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) Vehicle Maintenance Facility (“VMF”) in Detroit; Gorski was the Acting Manager of the USPS VMF in Ann Arbor; Plumb was the Acting Manager of the VMF for the USPS in Detroit; Adams was the Manager of the USPS VMF in Akron, Ohio, and Adams had previously served as a Supervisor at the VMF in Detroit; and Holmes served as a Lead Automotive Technician at the USPS Bulk Mail Center in Allen Park, Michigan, and he served as a Lead Mechanic at the VMF in Detroit.

Each indictment charges one of the five men with conspiring with a private contractor to accept bribes in the form of cash and other things of value in exchange for directing repair and maintenance work on USPS vehicles to the private contractor. The USPS maintains Vehicle Maintenance Facilities around the country, including in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Akron, Ohio. The five Postal Service employees charged today worked at these facilities, and they had the responsibility to decide whether work on Postal vehicles would be performed by USPS employees or sent out to private contractors. They also had the responsibility to decide which private contractor would be used for work sent outside of the USPS. Between 2004 and 2010, during the course of the conspiracies between the private contractor and the five USPS employees indicted today, the private contractor charged the USPS over $13 million for maintenance and repair work.

The bribes taken by the five defendants from the private contractor are summarized below:

Plumb accepted thousands of dollars in drinks and lap dances at a local strip club, over $8,000 in free work done on a truck belonging to Plumb’s grandson, and a $3,000 paver patio installed in Plumb’s backyard. In addition, on a weekly basis, Plumb used the services of a prostitute paid for by the private contractor. Plumb also accepted Levitra pills supplied by the contractor.

Adams accepted over $60,000 in cash bribes, a 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, thousands of dollars in free car parts and service work on cars, a $40,000 loan for the purchase of a condominium, tickets for games of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavalier, golf outings, and a $4,000 heating and cooling unit for Adams’ house.

Robinson accepted over $65,000 in cash bribes, thousands of dollars in free service work on cars, a 2001 Chrysler Minivan, and a custom-modified, high-performance Ford Pinto.

Holmes accepted over $6,000 in cash bribes.

Gorski accepted $2,000 in cash bribes, a 1999 Pontiac Minivan, tickets for Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, and University of Michigan football games, and thousands of dollars in gift cards.

Upon conviction, each of the five defendants faces a maximum of up to five years in prison for conspiring to commit bribery. In addition, Robinson faces a maximum of fifteen years in prison on each of five additional counts of bribery. Holmes also faces up to fifteen years in prison on each of five additional bribery charges. Adams also faces up to two years in prison for two counts of accepting illegal gratuities. Gorski faces up to fifteen years in prison on each of four counts of bribery. Finally, Plumb also faces up to fifteen years in prison for each of two counts of bribery and up to two years in prison on a single count of accepting an illegal gratuity.

The indictments also seek forfeiture of the illegal payments received by the five Postal Service employees in connection with their bribery schemes.

United States Attorney McQuade said, “U.S. government employees hold positions of public trust, and they are responsible for managing public funds. Federal employees who personally profit by taking bribes in exchange for official acts will prosecuted.”

Torri Piper, Special Agent in Charge of the OIG’s Major Fraud Investigations Division said, “The Postal Service spends about $11 to $12 billion on contracts annually – an amount that provides opportunities for fraud. Special Agents from the Postal Service OIG aggressively investigate any such schemes to defraud the Postal Service.” This investigation began under the direction of Elizabeth A. Farcht, the Special Agent in Charge of the Postal Service OIG’s Eastern Area. Said Ms. Farcht, “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.”

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by agents of the Postal Service OIG. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Gardey.

source: US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, Michigan