BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling over $18,000.
Christine Hedges, 47, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2025. In March 2024, Hedges was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Hedges began working for USPS around 2020, most recently as a Lead Sales & Service Associate in Brockton. From approximately October 2021 to August 2023, Hedges engaged in a scheme to steal USPS funds for her personal use. As part of this scheme, Hedges generated, for her own use, no-fee money orders without a customer physically present at her customer window and which a customer did not request. Hedges also stole cash from her USPS workstation and often attempted to conceal her theft by replacing the cash with these fraudulent money orders. During the relevant period, Hedges generated approximately 64 fraudulent no-fee money orders. Of those no-fee money orders, 11 were made out to her boyfriend or a family member. From on or about Aug. 1, 2023 to on or about Aug. 14, 2023, video surveillance from above Hedges’ workstation showed Hedges on at least one occasion removing cash from her assigned drawer and putting it in her pocket. In all, Hedges stole approximately $18,939 in postal funds.
The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.