Former Postal Inspector Charged in $340,000 Theft from Elderly Victims

A former U.S. postal inspector has been implicated in a scheme that saw him steal more than $340,000 from elderly victims targeted by lottery fraud. Scott Kelley, 52, from Pembroke, Massachusetts, was a team leader in the mail fraud unit at the Boston headquarters of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). His role involved investigating telemarketing scams linked to false lottery winnings aimed at seniors.

According to reports, Kelley accessed daily reports tracking suspicious parcels under the JOLT initiative, which focuses on disrupting Jamaican-linked telemarketing fraud. From January 2019 to August 2023, he requested that nearly 1,950 packages be routed to him, opening them and removing cash intended for the victims.

Among the victims was a 76-year-old retired Army veteran from Kansas who lost $19,100. Other victims included a retired construction worker, a retired nurse, and a 56-year-old Massachusetts resident on Social Security disability who had mailed $15,000. Kelley has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering, among others.

He reportedly laundered portions of the stolen funds and used some for personal expenses without declaring the income to the IRS. Sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2026, as U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs oversees the case.