Counterfeit metered postage court case

A suburban Washington, D.C., man who ran two shipping centers has pleaded guilty to defrauding the United States Postal Service by counterfeiting approximately $76,000 worth of metered postage at his stores.

Brian Kim, 38, of Fairfax, Va., pleaded guilty Aug. 5 to defrauding the Postal Service by counterfeiting postage that had been originally printed on a USPS-approved postage meter, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Va.

Kim faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7.

Kim also has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $76,000, the press release said.

In a statement of facts filed in U.S. District Court, Kim admitted to using the counterfeit metered postage from January to October 2013 on his customers’ packages and letters.

Neither the customers nor the USPS employees who picked up mail at the stores were aware of the fraud, according to the local district’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“On one representative day (Aug. 13, 2013) Kim caused the mailing of letters and packages bearing 80 counterfeit stamps [metered postage], with a total value of $395.70,” the release said.

“On Oct. 15, 2013, postal inspectors seized approximately $23,974.59 worth of counterfeit postage while executing search warrants at Kim’s businesses.”

His shipping stores were located in Fairfax and Arlington, Va.