KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sean Thomas Dennis, 29, formerly of La Follette, Tenn., pleaded guilty on Jan. 18, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville, to an indictment charging him with fraudulently issuing U.S. Postal Money Orders. Sentencing has been set for 10:30 a.m., Apr. 8, 2013, before the Honorable Thomas W. Phillips, U.S. District Judge.

In conjunction with his guilty plea, Dennis, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, admitted to issuing money orders without having first receiving or paying the full amount required for their issuance. Between October 2010 through January 2011, Dennis embezzled $32,096.21 from the U.S. Postal Service by fraudulently issuing 43 money orders. He told federal investigators that committed these acts to obtain money to finance his drug addiction.

This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Dale, Jr. represented the United States.

USDOJ: US Attorney's Office – Eastern District of Tennessee.

New Zealand Post has completed the delayed delivery of more than 18,000 pieces of mail allegedly stolen by a postie.

The final batch of about 2300 letters and packages was delivered on Sunday when nine NZ Post staff delivered to about 900 homes in the Queenstown area.

Spokesman Michael Tull said the delivery was "a bit of a milestone" and most of the mail had gone to the intended recipients, despite the transient nature of the town’s population.

Read more: Stolen mail delivery reaches 'milestone' – National – NZ Herald News.

KUSA – A letter carrier uncovered a scam that nets billions of dollars each year.

Richard Russo has been a letter carrier for 13 years and knows the people who live on his route. He became suspicious when he started seeing one address getting multiple treasury checks with different names.

"I was delivering the mail and noticed the names did not match the people who lived at the house, " Russo said. "I started collecting the checks and brought them back to the office."

Now the U.S. postal service is investigating.

Read more: Letter carrier uncovers scam used to steal billions of dollars | 9news.com.

CALGARY — A Calgary postal worker has been charged with the theft of cellphones totalling more than $30,000 from a mail distribution plant.

Canada Post and Calgary police launched an investigation in November after the postal service had received complaints that merchandise that was to be returned to a company had not been received, said Staff Sgt. Brad Moore.

Read more: Calgary postal worker charged with mail theft.

A Royal Mail worker who embezzled almost £45,000 said she would sell her house to help repay the money.

Angela Doran, 38, was placed under surveillance after parcels went missing from the sorting office and was snared on July 14, 2010 when she was caught with a parcel containing £2000 in her dungarees.

Read more: Royal Mail employee embezzled £45,000 to pay for designer goods | Scotland | News | STV.

HOLYOKE – A U.S. Postal Service employee was arrested at the Holyoke post office after officials suspected him of stealing prescription medicine out of people’s mail, police said.

Daniel Jankowiak, 33, of South Hadley, was charged with trafficking a class A substance, oxycodone, possession of a Class A substance, possession of a class E substance and receiving stolen property, said Lt. Matthew Moriarity of the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Jankowiak was arrested Friday following a joint investigation by Holyoke police, U.S. Postal Inspectors and the Department of Veterans Affairs, he said.

Read more: Holyoke postal employee arrested during investigation of prescription medication being stolen from mail | masslive.com.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call at around 9:00am, yesterday regarding a man with a bomb in the U.S. Post Office in the Thornburg area. The female postal worker related to dispatchers that a man came into the facility and placed a box on the counter, claiming that it was a bomb and he was there to rob the post office.

Upon arrival, deputies took the man into custody and evacuated nearby businesses and residences for safety. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit, from the Quantico Marine base and the Virginia State Police, Bomb Squad responded to assist in the safe disposal of the suspected explosive device, which remained inside the post office.

The bomb squad worked for several hours to safely investigate and dispose of the suspect package, only to find that it was a hoax device which was incapable of detonating and contained no explosives. The U. S. Postal Inspection Service special agents responded to the scene and deputies assisted in the processing of the crime scene and gathering of evidence, which was ultimately turned over to the special agents for federal prosecution of the suspect. The suspect was described as a disgruntled out of work truck driver in his mid-50’s, who was “at the end of his rope” and decided to do something desperate.

During the initial response and investigation of this incident, the ATF, FBI, USPS Inspection Service, Quantico Marine EOD unit, and the Virginia State Police Bomb assisted in the numerous stages and assignments of this case. The suspect was turned over to USPS special agents pending federal charges and warrants.

From the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department:

In the evening hours of Wednesday, January 16, 2013, members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Industrial Plastic Theft Task Force, out of Industry Sheriff’s Station, located stolen trademark plastic products at a warehouse in the 9300 block of 7th Street, Rancho Cucamonga. The plastic products, which belong to the U.S. Postal Service, have a value estimated in excess of $24,000.

There, the stolen trademarked plastic products were being stowed, ground to make them untraceable and eventually primed to be sold.

The discovery was made by Task Force members as a result of a lengthy follow up investigation related to the theft of trademarked plastics products.

Two male adults were arrested and charged with possession of known stolen property, 496 PC. They were booked at San Bernardino-West Valley Detention Center.

One was a resident of the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the other of the City of Montclair. A third male, who was identified as the mastermind of the operation, was identified, but is yet to be arrested.

An attorney representing him has made contact with the Task Force members and pledged to turn his client in as soon as tomorrow.

Additional suspects may be involved in this illicit operation, thus making this investigation on-going.

Earlier this month, Task Force members identified and shut down two other illicit operations, one in the City of South El Monte and the other in the City of Lynwood. Both locations were utilized to stow, grind and prime for sale stolen trademarked plastic products.

Nine suspects were taken into custody and charged with possession of known stolen property.

BOSTON – A Taunton man was charged today in federal court with stealing mail.

Michael Gilman, 27, was charged with theft of mail. The indictment alleges that Gilman, an employee of the United States Postal Service in Brockton, stole letters while in his official capacity.

If convicted, Gilman faces up to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Rafael Medina, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.

(CBS News) Lance Armstrong has offered to pay more than $5 million to the federal government to compensate for the fraud he allegedly committed against the U.S. Postal Service, CBS News has learned. The Postal Service paid Armstrong’s team more than $30 million to sponsor it from 1999 to 2004 as part of a contract that banned doping.

CBS News has also learned Armstrong offered to be a cooperating witness in a federal investigation.

But our sources say the Department of Justice has turned down both offers as inadequate.

Read more: CBS News: Government rejects Armstrong's $5M restitution offer – CBS News.