By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
WASHINGTON — It’s part of human nature to want to make a difference.
Marvin Foster made a difference.
The 55-year-old Foster contributed to the U.S. Postal Service’s astronomical losses, which are expected to reach $7 billion in fiscal 2009.
Foster, a window clerk at the Elkridge, Md. post office, stole more than $682,000 in stamps from June 2008 to March 2009, authorities charged. The stamps were then sold on eBay by a man named Kyle Mathias, who has also been charged in the case.
On Thursday, Foster, now a former postal employee, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to conspiracy to steal from the U.S. Postal Service. He faces up to five years in prison at sentencing, which is set for Nov. 13 before U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake.
Authorities charged that Foster stole “bricks” consisting of 2,000 stamps valued at $840, and “coils” consisting of 100 stamps valued at $42.
A criminal complaint that includes an affidavit by U.S. Postal Inspectors, says covert cameras caught Foster entering the stamp stock room at various times after midnight.
In one instance, the affidavit said “Foster had no reason to be in the post office at 2:10 a.m. in the morning and had used the key to get in.”
“Later that day, at 7:22 a.m. on December 4, 2008; the Officer in Charge (OIC) counted the stamp stock and noted that nine (9) bricks of Forever Stamps were missing,” the affidavit said. “The value of the nine (9) bricks was $7,560.”
U.S Postal Inspectors started to notice stamps being sold on eBay.
On Nov. 18, 2008, according to the affidavit, U.S. Postal Inspector Jason Krizmanich, acting in an undercover capacity, bought 2,000 Forever Stamps from Kyle Mathias on eBay through the account Cardking1122″ for $814.99 when the true value was $840.
On Jan. 13, 2009, Krizmanich, again purchased $840 worth of stamps for $749.99 on eBay, court papers said.
On Jan. 14, 2009, investigators put a GPS device on Foster’s 2006 Subaru. As a result, authorities were able to show that he travelled to Kyle Mathias’ address multiple times.
