Emmanuel Odio Esezobor, aged 51, a former employee of the post office in Alamo, was convicted on a single count of theft of public money and seven counts of distributing counterfeit money. He was convicted by the District court jury in Oakland, California. Esezobor stole $13,800 from the U.S Postal Service and distributed counterfeit cash while in the employ of the post office.
Details of the Case
The authorities have said that Esezobor’s counterfeit cash was made in Nigeria. He would buy money orders with the fake currency. He then placed the counterfeit in the cash register and used the real money to pay off his bills. An investigation concerning his activities began after his supervisor at the post office found a bill which, according to the Secret Service Special Agent David Stewart’s affidavit, didn’t look genuine.
Esezobor is suspected of passing out more than $25,000 in counterfeit cash all over the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional evidence was acquired in the form of the bills he had deposited at the Provident Federal Credit Union in Hayward. Undercover agents from the U.S Postal Service Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation and found evidence of Esezobor’s operations. At the end of each working day, the supervisors at the post office found fake $100 bills in Esezobor’s cash register.
U.S. Law Regarding Counterfeit Cash Distribution
According to the U.S laws on the subject, manufacturing counterfeit currency or altering genuine currency violates Title 18, Section 471 of the United States Code and can be punishable with imprisonment for up to 15 years, a fine or in certain cases, both.
Possession of counterfeit cash with fraudulent intentions is a violation of Title 18, Section 472 and can be punishable with the same sentence. This is also applicable to manufacturers of counterfeit coins. Altering, trafficking or forging Government bonds and checks violates Title 18, Section 510 and is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine, or in some cases, both.
