Ex-Postal Official Given 4 Years for Taking Payoffs

Peter Voss, the former vice chairman of the Postal Service board of governors who opted to plea bargain, was sentenced today to four years in prison for accepting illegal payments in connection with a Texas company’s efforts to obtain a $250-million government contract.

U.S. District Judge George H. Revercomb levied a fine of $11,000 against Voss, an appointee of President Reagan and the co-chairman of Reagan’s Ohio campaign in the 1980 presidential race.

Voss resigned from the postal board May 30, when he pleaded guilty to the charges.

In an appearance before Revercomb, Voss said that before the government uncovered his activities, he was preparing to bring them to the attention of federal investigators.

“Conscience has no place to hide, and that’s certainly true in my case,” Voss said.

‘May Seem . . . Severe’

“The sentence may seem to you and to some others a severe one,” Revercomb told Voss, who has been cooperating with the U.S. attorney’s office in the ongoing criminal investigation under a plea-bargaining arrangement.

“You had the benefit of a plea bargain,” said Revercomb. “Without the plea, you would be facing a substantially longer sentence.”

Revercomb sentenced Voss to two years in prison on each of two counts of accepting an illegal gratuity. The sentences will run consecutively.

Voss also received six months on one count of embezzling money from the Postal Service by submitting vouchers for first-class airline tickets he did not use. The sentence for embezzlement is to run concurrently with the four-year term. The judge fined Voss $5,000 on each charge involving the gratuity and $1,000 for the embezzlement.

Voss had faced a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and fines of $21,000.

Fee-Splitting Deal

Voss was charged with taking at least $20,000 worth of payoffs in a fee-splitting arrangement with a public relations firm hired on Voss’ recommendation by Recognition Equipment Inc. of Irving, Tex.

REI is in the running for a $250-million mail-sorting equipment contract with the Postal Service. The U.S. attorney’s office says the investigation of that contract and others involving the Postal Service is continuing.

After his sentencing today, Voss said he will continue to cooperate with the government in its investigation. In exchange for his cooperation, the government agreed not to file additional charges against him.