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Postal worker charged with collecting benefits for deceased ex-spouse: officials

By Lauren Westphal
Published  December 19, 2025 2:55pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • A Chicago postal worker was indicted for allegedly collecting extra workers’ compensation benefits for more than a decade by falsely claiming her deceased ex-spouse as a dependent.
    • Prosecutors say Graciela Venegas received about $51,776 in additional payments — roughly 8⅓% of her pre-injury pay — from 2013 to 2024 after divorcing in 2013 and her ex-husband’s death in 2014.
    • Venegas, 66, faces five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement, with a maximum potential sentence of 20 years per wire fraud count; her next court date is Jan. 6.

CHICAGO - A postal service employee has been indicted for collecting benefits for her deceased ex-spouse for over 10 years, according to officials.

What we know:

Graciela Venegas, also known as Graciela Salgado, started receiving workers' compensation benefits in 2012 after she injured herself while working as a U.S. Postal Service employee. At the time, she claimed her spouse was a dependent, which entitled her to receive extra benefits. When in fact, Venegas divorced her spouse in 2013, and, in 2014, her former spouse died.

 The indictment alleges that Venegas fraudulently received extra monthly workers' compensation payments, which amounted to roughly 8 ⅓ percent of her pre-injury monthly pay, from 2013 to 2024. In total, she collected an extra $51,776, according to the indictment.

The 66-year-old Chicagoan has been charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of knowingly making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Labor. Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the false statement carries up to five years.

What they're saying:

"Workers’ compensation benefits provide a lifeline to workers who are injured on the job and unable to perform their duties," said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros.  "Committing fraud upon this important program undermines the financial stability of the insurance system, increases costs for businesses and consumers, and harms truly injured workers.  Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to collect workers’ compensation benefits to which they are not entitled."

"The U.S. Postal Service paid $1.5 billion in workers’ compensation costs in fiscal year 2024, and the majority of postal employees who collect compensation benefits have legitimate claims due to on-the-job injuries," said Dennus Bishop, Special Agent in Charge of the Central Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General. "However, a certain percentage abuse the system and cost the Postal Service millions of dollars in fraudulent claims and enforcement costs.  Today’s charges send a clear message that the USPS OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of this benefit program and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees."

What's next:

Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 6.

The Source: Details for this story were provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

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