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A former Alamo post office employee has been convicted of stealing public money and passing counterfeit money orders, according to a release from United States Attorney Melinda Haag.
Emmanuel Odion Esezobor was convicted by a federal jury Thursday of one count of theft of public money and seven counts of passing counterfeit U.S. obligations.
A federal jury found that Esezobor stole $13,800 from the U.S. Postal Service and passed counterfeit bills at the Alamo Post Office on seven different days in February and March 2011.
The guilty verdict followed a 3-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken.
Evidence at trial showed that the Hayward resident, 51,issued himself $13,800 worth of U.S. postal money orders and purported to pay for those money orders with counterfeit $100 bills.
Esezobor knew these bills were counterfeit and had passed similar counterfeit bills at his credit union in Hayward in November 2010.
The maximum statutory penalty for theft of public money is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of passing counterfeit money is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Esezobor’s sentencing is set for Jan.31, 2012, in Oakland.
