5 Postal Employees Indicted In Corruption Probe

DETROIT (AP) - Federal prosecutors in Detroit say a contractor provided cash, tickets to major sporting events and prostitutes in exchange for repairing Postal Service vehicles.

The U.S. attorney's office says five current or former postal employees have been charged with conspiracy. They are due to appear in federal court Thursday.

The contractor billed the government more than $13 million for vehicle work over a seven-year period. The contractor is identified in the indictments as "Contractor A.''

Much of the vehicle work was done in southeastern Michigan, although the government alleges that the corruption stretched to Akron, Ohio, where one of the five postal workers was manager of vehicle maintenance. The contractor had a garage in Akron.

The Postal Service says four employees have been placed on leave while a fifth has retired.
  
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