Updated- December 18, 2014 – MADISON – A former Menomonie postmaster whose gambling addiction led him to take $44,000 from stamp vending machines over six years was placed on two years of probation Wednesday in federal court and ordered to repay the U.S. Postal Service.
Robert J. Colaizy, 63, of Menomonie, who had worked for the Postal Service since 1975, was unable to pay his bills in recent years because he was spending too much money at casinos, his attorney, Kelly Welsh, wrote the court.
He set Colaizy’s restitution at $44,418.
Peterson factored in Colaizy’s age, his lack of prior convictions, his low risk of re-offending and that he is caring for his wife, who has health issues, Anderson said.
Peterson prohibited Colaizy from gambling or entering casinos while on supervised release.
Menomonie ex-postmaster pleads guilty to stealing
(October 9, 2014) MADISON, Wisconsin – Menomonie’s postmaster for more than two decades pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to falsifying records and stealing more than $40,000 from stamp vending machines.
Robert J. Colaizy, 63, of Menomonie emptied money from stamp machines at a Menomonie Walmart between 2002 and 2008, keeping the money and falsifying inventory and cash records to conceal his offense, assistant U.S. attorney Robert Anderson said.
Although the machines were pulled from the store in 2008, Colaizy continued to falsify records until he retired in January. That’s when postal inspectors audited the books, Anderson said.
“We couldn’t charge him with theft because the statute of limitations had expired, but he entered false records right up until (Jan. 15),” Anderson said.
In admitting his guilt, Colaizy told Peterson that he “took funds from postal sales, did not deposit them and (kept) it for myself.”
Colaizy stole an average of $100 to $200 weekly for six years until the machines were replaced with machines “that you couldn’t steal from,” Anderson said.