Postal Worker Charged with Issuing Money Orders Without Receiving Full Payment

Published 9:30 am Thursday, October 14, 2021

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHANNEL SMITH, age 41, of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, was charged on October 12, 2021 in a one-count superseding bill of information for issuing money orders without receiving full payment in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.

According to court documents, beginning in May 2019 and continuing until August 2019, SMITH, being an employee of the Postal Service, for the purpose of fraudulently enabling herself to obtain and receive, directly and indirectly, a sum of money from the United States, issued eight (8) postal money orders with face amounts of $150.00, $110.71, $100.00, $125.00, $80.00, $140.00, $100.00, and $150.00 without having previously received the full amount payable to the United States for these money orders.

If convicted, SMITH faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee based on the charge outlined in the superseding bill of information.

U.S. Attorney Evans stated that the superseding bill of information is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by special agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”).  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne.