Former USPS Employee Faces Additional Charges in Postal Contract Bribery Scheme

AKRON, Ohio - As a result of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of a former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker, a Summit County man now faces additional accusations in a highly coordinated conspiracy to award USPS contracts to specific business entities.

In a superseding indictment filed Feb. 4, a federal grand jury charged Josef Ratcliff, 60, of Akron, with the following:

• Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud
• Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Under Color of Official Right
• Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud
• Extortion Under Color of Official Right
• Receipt of Bribes by Federal Official
• Concealment Money Laundering

Ratcliff was initially charged with receiving bribes in the original indictment filed in July 2025.

According to the allegations, Ratcliff was employed as a purchasing and supply management specialist with USPS. As part of his official duties he solicited, received, and reviewed bids from contractors, focusing on logistics services for transporting the mail. Some of the contracts were worth more than $10 million. In performing his duty to review bids, Ratcliff had access to highly confidential information which was not to be shared outside the USPS. After reviewing bids, he provided the contracting officer with his recommendations-which they typically followed-and contracts were awarded to the companies Ratcliff had chosen.

As described in the superseding indictment, Ratcliff conspired to provide confidential competing bid numbers, and other favorable treatment, to companies from across the country including Spokane, Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; Raeford, North Carolina; Bronx, New York; and Middletown, New York. Some of these entities were not previously in the trucking or logistics business before connecting with the defendant. Examples include one that was a chemical company, and another that provided cellphone related services. Another company was only formed after the owner connected with Ratcliff. Nonetheless, these businesses were awarded USPS trucking contracts. In return for his guidance, Ratcliff's co-conspirators regularly paid him bribes worth thousands of dollars in the form of checks, electronic money transfers, and cash.

Court documents further allege that the electronic transfers often included notes in attempts to conceal the true purpose of the payments. Note descriptions included "car oil leak," "birthday present for big boy," or "pop rocks for little daddy." Other transfers were simply noted as "happy birthday" or "rent." In less than a year, six of the bribes were designated for a birthday. One transfer in the amount of $3,500 was ostensibly for a "coffee maker and beans." One co-conspirator alone sent 14 bribes totaling $38,900.

Ratcliff is also alleged to have been explicit about the scheme in his phone calls with co-conspirators. He provided specific bid information, including the amounts of the lowest and second-lowest bids. Ratcliff also explained plans for spending the bribe money on his car and buying a new house. Part of the scheme involved the co-conspirators, with Ratcliff's help, getting extensions of time to submit their bids, so Ratcliff could provide the full picture of the competitors' bids to help co-conspirators craft winning bids. On calls, he discussed how a co-conspirator should obtain such an extension, including how the co-conspirator should first reach out to the contracting officer alone, who would then bring Ratcliff in, making it appear that the extension request process started with the contracting officer and not the defendant. Later in the scheme, he warned that he would soon be losing access to some of the contract information, saying, "what we doin', this s--t is about to dry the f--k up" because the co-conspirator "won't be able to get no information from me on" those contracts.

The following co-conspirators were charged separately in connection with their roles in the conspiracy and have all previously pleaded guilty. Sentencing dates are:

• William Michael Clark, 50, of Las Vegas, Nevada: April 7.
• Zoma M. Shaikh, 43, of Bronx, New York: TBD.
• Vakar Maniar, 70, of Raeford, North Carolina: April 21.
• Jilani Ahad, 66, of Bronx, New York: April 20.
• Rafeh Ahad, 26, of Fort Myers, Florida: April 20
• Eric Asante Wiredu, 57, of Middleton, New York: March 24

An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant's prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

The United States Postal Inspection Service-Office of the Inspector General leads the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.