Chicago Man Sentenced for Theft of Government Money

HAMMOND - John R. Umphlett, 55 years old, of Chicago, IL, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to theft of government money, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Umphlett was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution of $15,947.33 to the United States Postal Service.

"John Umphlett was employed as a Manager of Post Office Operations for the United States Postal Service. In his position Umphlett was in charge of supervising several northwest Indiana Post Offices. Umphlett used his position to steal money from the USPS. From 2022 to 2024, Umphlett stole 20 award checks written out to Postal employees, cashed the checks at Post Offices, and kept the cash proceeds, for a total theft of $15,947.33. John Umphlett abused his position for personal gain, undermining the public trust and harming the very colleagues who work hard every day to serve our communities. This office remains committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring that anyone who steals from the government, and their coworkers, is held fully accountable. This successful prosecution was made possible by the strong partnership and professional work of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Their diligent investigation ensured that this breach of trust was uncovered and brought to justice," said U.S. Attorney, Adam Mildred.

"The sentencing in this investigation represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working alongside the U.S. Attorney's Office to bring charges in this financial fraud investigation." said Dennus Bishop, Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG. "The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of Postal Service employees."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.