U.S. Postal Service Facilities Project Manager Arrested on Corruption Charges

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joanne Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Major Fraud Investigations Division, announced that ROBERT GIULIETTI, 55, a resident of Cheshire and an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. In association with today’s arrest, the government also executed seizure warrants on three bank accounts controlled by GIULIETTI and seized $630,731.40 in proceeds allegedly involved in the commission of those offenses.

According to statements made in court today, GIULIETTI was a facilities project manager for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) at the USPS Northeast Facilities Office in Windsor, Connecticut. GIULIETTI’s duties included recommending and selecting facilities improvement contractors, reviewing and approving bids received from those contractors for USPS work, certifying the completion of work by contractors, and approving payment authorizations. The complaint alleges that GIULIETTI accepted significant corrupt payments from contractors doing business with the USPS in return for being influenced in the performance of his official duties.

In addition, the complaint alleges that in approximately September 2009, GIULIETTI formed MGC LLC, an entity he controlled under the name of a nominee owner, to do business with the USPS on projects on which he worked. Operated MGC from his USPS office in Windsor, GIULIETTI used his position to direct USPS contracts to MGC, to approve MGC’s work and to authorize payment to MGC for work. After GIULIETTI would direct USPS contracts to MGC, he would engage other contractors to perform the actual work involved with the project. GIULIETTI generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit by having MGC charge USPS more than MGC had to pay the contractors who performed the actual work.

The complaint further alleges that GIULIETTI engaged in financial transactions with the proceeds of his scheme in order to conceal their nature by MGC by issuing approximately $250,000 in checks payable to the nominee owner of MGC and depositing them into bank accounts he controlled.

Following his arrest, GIULIETTI appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport and was released on $200,000 secured bond.

If convicted of bribery, GIULIETTI faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of conspiracy, GIULIETTI faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of wire fraud, GIULIETTI faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of money laundering, GIULIETTI faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $500,000.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that the investigation is ongoing.

U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Glover and Jonathan Francis.