A former mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, Vershun Weaver, has admitted to stealing government treasury checks from his delivery route and fraudulently securing a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Weaver abused his position and undermined the work of honest public servants,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Citizens should have absolute confidence that their mail is being handled, and delivered, by carriers of impeccable integrity. We will continue to work with our federal partners to root out and hold accountable government employees who compromise their integrity and violate the public’s trust.”
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General added, “This case sends a strong message to any U.S. Postal Service employee who decides to violate the public’s trust in this manner. Our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
Court records show that in July 2023, another postal worker found Weaver’s wallet in a mail truck and turned it over to a supervisor. Inside were two treasury checks intended for customers on Weaver’s route—one for about $2,500 and another for $1,500. A subsequent investigation uncovered more stolen mail addressed to other victims on his route in Weaver’s personal vehicle.
Authorities also discovered that Weaver submitted false income tax documents as part of his application for a PPP loan through the Small Business Administration, even though he knew those documents had not been filed with the IRS. The proceeds from this fraudulent loan were used by Weaver for personal purchases not allowed under pandemic relief rules.
Weaver pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Small Business Administration and two counts of theft of mail by a Postal Service employee. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 9, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General with help from the Small Business Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., is prosecuting this case.
The Department of Justice set up its COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to coordinate efforts against pandemic-related fraud across various agencies (https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus). This task force focuses on investigating major domestic and international criminal activity related to pandemic relief programs while helping prevent future fraud by sharing information between agencies.
Individuals can report suspected COVID-19 fraud by calling 866-720-5721 or submitting information online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
