WORCESTER, Mass. — A former investigator with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been charged with stealing more than $330,000 from elderly individuals he was meant to protect from fraud. Scott Kelley, 51, allegedly misappropriated funds intended for victims of Jamaican lottery scams, using the money for personal luxuries including vacations and home renovations.

Kelley faces 45 counts, which include wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft, and money laundering. According to the Justice Department, Kelley intercepted nearly 2,000 packages containing cash sent by scam victims between 2019 and 2023. He is accused of deceiving postal workers into forwarding these packages to him under the guise of official investigations.

Prosecutors allege that Kelley engaged in sophisticated schemes to exploit vulnerable individuals. He reportedly sent fraudulent emails instructing postal employees to divert packages from scam victims, who had been coerced into sending money for purported lottery winnings they never genuinely earned.

The former inspector’s spending habits raise eyebrows, with reports detailing expenditures such as $15,400 on escorts, $30,188 for improvements to his swimming pool, and $4,300 on a Caribbean cruise. Kelley allegedly laundered the stolen funds through a series of postal money orders and dispersed the money across multiple bank accounts at different financial institutions.

In a particularly egregious act, Kelley is said to have met a victim and falsely claimed their package had gone missing, asserting that their loss was their fault for sending cash. His manipulation further extended to stealing $7,000 from an evidence locker, utilizing another inspector’s key, and then shifting the blame to the colleague.

If convicted, Kelley could face significant prison time, with each count of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years. The case has sparked outrage among those who view it as a betrayal of trust, given Kelley’s role in protecting the public from financial scams.

The allegations highlight a disturbing breach of duty by a law enforcement official, raising questions about oversight within agencies tasked with safeguarding the community. As the legal proceedings unfold, it underscores the need for vigilance against corruption that can undermine the very systems meant to protect the most vulnerable citizens.