A North Dakota postmaster who has worked for USPS  since 2000 (14 years) with an annuals salary of m0re than  $58,000  has agreed to plead guilty

Edmund Sharp IV, former Beulah, North Dakota  postmaster  was indicted in May 2014 on charges of Misappropriation of Postal Funds -Between June 2013 and February 2014 converted to his own use, money and property at a value exceeding $1,000, to which he was not entitled;  False Statements -Between August 2013 and February 2014 Sharp made false entries on postal financial reports by using the names of employees he supervised to issue emergency salary advances to himself and took the advances without gaining the approval of his supervisor.

According to court documents, Sharp claimed his actions was caused by an effort to “meet the demands of higher costs of living in western North Dakota.”

It’s not clear how much money was involved, but the plea agreement says in exchange for a guilty plea the U.S. Attorney will recommend:

(a) a sentence at the low end of the applicable Guideline range;
(b) that Sharp be ordered to pay restitution in the amount of$7,500.00 to USPS;
(c) that Sharp not be ordered to pay a fine; rather available funds should be applied toward restitution; and
(d) Move to dismiss the charge of falsifying financial documents

Sharp faced a possible sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000  and 3 years of supervised released.

The court has scheduled a hearing for Sharp to change his plea of not guilty to guilty on September 2, 2014. Sharp is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2014.