U.S. sues Lance Armstrong, alleges fraud of sponsor Postal Service

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it has joined a civil lawsuit against disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, accusing him of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service by using banned substances in international races when the post was his sponsor.

The decision came in a statement from department lawyers hours after an Armstrong lawyer said that talks had failed to dissuade the government from suing Armstrong.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by David Brunnstrom)