Former Auburn Postal Worker Sentenced for Workers’ Compensation Fraud

A former U.S. Postal Service letter carrier from Auburn has been sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Christopher Gleason, 36, was also ordered to repay $14,858.94 in restitution and pay a $400 special assessment, according to U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General – Northeast Region.

Gleason admitted in court that while receiving workers’ compensation benefits for a sprained ankle, he worked construction jobs without reporting his earnings. Under federal law, employees receiving workers’ compensation must disclose any additional income. Prosecutors said Gleason submitted multiple false claims stating he had no outside employment while collecting benefits from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson prosecuted the case.