United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

NEW HAVEN WOMAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR ROLE IN STOLEN CHECK SCHEME

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that COLLEEN LONDON, 45, of Wooster Street, New Haven, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  On December 17, 2007, LONDON pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen mail and admitted that, in 2005, she received numerous checks that had been stolen from the mail room at the VA Hospital in West Haven, Connecticut, altered them and then had an associate cash the checks so together they could share the proceeds.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, the VA received by U.S. Mail checks from the U.S. Treasury and from USAA, an insurance company.  The checks were made payable to the VA in order to pay for expenses associated with medical care for veterans being treated at the VA Hospital in West Haven. As part of the scheme, LONDON’s associates stole checks from the mail and then provided the checks to LONDON, who would alter the checks to reflect that they were payable in a greater amount and to other persons, who were LONDON’s accomplices.  The accomplices would then negotiate the altered checks at commercial establishments and provide a share of the proceeds to LONDON.

In pleading guilty, LONDON also admitted that, on several occasions, she had engaged in other fraudulent financial transactions, including passing bad checks at various stores.

Today, Judge Kravitz ordered LONDON to pay restitution in the amount of $5,629.78.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Police, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. McGarry.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov