Oneida County Man Pleads Guilty to Money Order Fraud

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Delos Thurston, age 27, of Clinton, New York, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to money order fraud. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General ("USPS-OIG"), made the announcement.

Thurston admitted that between April 2025 and January 2026, while he was employed as the Postmaster of the Morrisville, New York, Post Office, he fraudulently issued 179 money orders for his own benefit without paying for them, and in so doing stole $118,088.19 from the United States.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: "This defendant stole from the honest, hard-working American taxpayer. That he did so by abusing the authority entrusted to him as a public servant is abhorrent. We thank the Office of Inspector General for its continued efforts to bring fraudsters to justice."

USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew M. Modafferi stated, "The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to upholding the integrity of the Postal Service and its workforce. Our office will continue to investigate Postal Service employees who violate the public's trust and engage in fraudulent activity. The USPS-OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with the U.S. Attorney's Office to combat fraud."

Sentencing is scheduled for August 6, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Thurston faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The USPS-OIG is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.