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Park Citian gets prison sentence for postal fraud By Les Anderson Last Updated: August 11, 2005 A Park City woman has been sentenced to two months in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft from the U.S. Postal Service. Denise Lockhart’s imprisonment will be followed by two years of supervised release. She also must pay $28,800 in restitution. Lockhart, formerly of Valley Center, entered her plea May 16 in federal court. Judge Wesley Brown sentenced her Monday. Lockhart admitted stealing from the postal service between Feb. 10, 2001, and July 26, 2004. She was indicted by a federal grand jury March 8 in Wichita. The investigation disclosed that Lockhart, doing business as A Fresh Clean, contracted to perform general cleaning duties at the Valley Center post office. She was to begin this service Feb. 10, 2001, and receive $320 biweekly. Lockhart did not provide the cleaning services as agreed and did not notify the U.S. Postal Service that she was unable to fulfill the contract. Every two weeks from February 2001 through July 26, 2004, however, Lockhart received the $320 checks, which she deposited in her bank. When questioned by Special Agent Pamela Jackson of the U.S. Postal Service, from the Office of the Inspector General, Lockhart admitted that she took the checks, knowing that she was not entitled to receive them. The defendant admitted that she owed the postal service $28,800 for services not provided. The defendant admitted that she knew that depositing the checks was wrong, and worried about being caught each time she handled one of the checks. Lockhart was convicted in July 2003 of drug possession in Harvey County. In 1995, Lockhart was charged with embezzling $11,966 from the Valley Center school district, where she had been employed as assistant bookkeeper. Lockhart pleaded guilty to theft and misuse of public funds. She was placed on probation for 24 months and ordered to pay full restitution to Ohio Casualty Insurance Co. Judge Wesley Brown could have imposed a fine of up to $250,000 and sentenced Lockhart up to 10 years in prison on the latest charge. |
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