Published: November 09, 2007 09:36 pm            

LOCKPORT: Postal employee faces felony charges

A supervisor at Lockport’s post office branch faces six felony charges after being accused of falsifying business records.

Leo J. Wheeler, 56, 4805 Transit Road, Depew, a post office delivery supervisor, was charged Friday morning with six felony counts of second-degree falsifying business records.

The arrest came after a joint investigation between the Lockport Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General.

Agapi Doulaveris, spokeswoman for the OIG, said the office received information in August that Wheeler had falsified the time in attendance records for an employee under his supervision.

“At the OIG, what we do is we promote the integrity and accountability of the postal service, and we investigate allegations of misconduct and fraud,” Doulaveris said. “As soon as we receive allegations, we do investigate vigorously.”

The allegations in this case involve a female employee. Wheeler allegedly made false entries in the time records for the woman on at least six occasions, causing her to be compensated for time she was not actually clocked in.

The charges stem from incidents April 24, April 26, May 4, May 12, May 31 and June 14, according to police reports.

Wheeler was arrested Friday morning on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. The female employee has not been charged in connection with the case.

“We would treat that separately,” Doulaveris said.

Wheeler was released on $600 bail and is due Nov. 14 in Lockport City Court.

Doulaveris said Wheeler has been placed on administrative leave from his duties.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.