James E. Lee Sr., a former procurement official for the U.S. Postal Service, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud.
According to court documents, Lee was a product management specialist overseeing expedited packaging supplies for the U.S. Postal Service. Lee, among other responsibilities, served as a contracting officer representative on several contracts to manufacture and provide expedited packaging supplies. Between approximately mid-2018 and late 2023, Lee and others agreed to engage in corrupt scheme in which Lee steered the procurement process for lucrative U.S. Postal Service contracts, worth hundreds of millions of dollars in certain instances, so they would be awarded to, or retained by, four different companies. Lee provided preferential treatment and competitive advantages to the companies, including reviewing draft technical proposals and disclosing to them confidential internal information regarding pricing and other issues.
Lee also performed official acts and influenced other officials during the procurement process. Lee used a relative and the relative’s consulting company as an intermediary to provide information to the companies and conceal Lee’s efforts to steer the procurement process. In exchange, the companies hired Lee’s relative as an employee or consultant, resulting in payments totaling nearly $183,000.
Lee’s relative and a former executive for one of the manufacturing companies have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Lee is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 25, 2027.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Special Agent in Charge Kevin Cloninger of the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General; and FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office are investigating this and related cases. Chief Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting this and related cases. Criminal Division Attorney Celia R. Choy provided substantial assistance with the investigation.