By April Amadon/amadona@gnnewspaper.com
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
Sat, May 17 2008
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BY APRIL AMADON
amadona@gnnewspaper.com
A former postal supervisor accused of falsifying time card records was sentenced Wednesday on a reduced charge of disorderly conduct.
Leo J. Wheeler, 58, 4305 Transit Road, Depew, received a conditional discharge of a 15-day jail sentence, which will run for one year.
Wheeler must also complete 200 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.
Wheeler, who pleaded guilty March 5 in Lockport City Court to disorderly conduct, was originally charged with six misdemeanor counts of second-degree falsifying business records.
Wheeler, formerly a post office delivery supervisor at the Lockport branch of the U.S. Postal Service, was accused of falsifying time in attendance records for a female employee under his supervision, allowing the woman to be compensated for time she was not actually clocked in.
The charges stemmed from incidents between April and June last year, according to police reports.
City Court Judge William Watson told Wheeler and his attorney, Frank Buffomante, that he was a bit confused the District Attorney’s office allowed such a reduced plea.
“The plea seems a little unusual,” Watson said
Buffomante said the six incidents did not add up to very much extra time on the clock, which helped in the plea determination.
“It’s not a whole lot of money when you look at it,” Buffomante said. “My understanding is the postal service has no ax to grind about this.”
Glen Diemer, a special agent with the postal service’s Office of the Inspector General, spoke during the sentencing. The investigation was a joint operation between the Lockport Police Department, an independent agency of the postal service set up to investigate internal issues.
Diemer said Wheeler resigned his position about two weeks ago, which was “to some extent” the resolution the postal service had been seeking.
The woman involved in the case is still employed by the postal service. She may face administrative sanctions, Diemer said, but it is unlikely she will face criminal charges.
“We have yet to interview her and talk to her concerning what is going to happen to her,” he said.
Despite rumors to the contrary, the woman was not romantically involved with Wheeler, Buffomante said.
“I think that was the theory, but that was not the case,” he said. “Punching in for someone else is something routinely (done by) supervisors, though probably not to this extent.”
Buffomante said the ordeal has been tough for Wheeler, who has never had any other brushes with the law.
“Mr. Wheeler has suffered substantially for this, and probably will continue to suffer,” he said.
Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
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