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Mailbox fishing is a federal crime in which envelopes containing checks and sensitive documents are “fished out” of curbside mailboxes by crooks using a makeshift rod, such as an adhesive slathered all over a weighted bottle attached to the end of a string or rope.
By Forum Staff
Six individuals have been charged in two separate indictments by a Queens County grand jury for allegedly working in concert to steal checks from mailboxes, alter them with higher dollar values and deposit the checks for cash or other transactions from crewmembers’ accounts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.
Four defendants are charged in the first indictment and two more are charged in a second separate indictment. The defendants are variously charged with grand larceny, conspiracy and other crimes.
“This scheme caused havoc and unwarranted financial hardship for the victims. As alleged, these defendants worked together to line their pockets with money laundered through banks after they deposited checks stolen from numerous USPS mailboxes. They would erase the original payout on the checks and write in their own figures,” Katz said. “My Office, working in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New York City Police Department, has broken up this crew of alleged thieves. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Queens from these types of schemes.”
According to the charges, between March 1, 2019 and June 10, 2019, the defendants were all part of a criminal conspiracy specializing in mail theft and check fraud, which netted approximately $100,000 in stolen funds from residents and businesses in Queens County and elsewhere. Each defendant had their own role in this organized scheme, which started with defendant Luis Velazquez allegedly stealing mail from various Queens locations to find both personal and business checks.
DA Katz continued that the stolen checks were then provided to the crew’s boss, who would coordinate with other defendants to alter the checks or change the checks completely by erasing the handwritten ink using brake fluid or acetone and then putting the names of an accomplice, who was willing to open bank accounts for the organization. The defendants changed the original amount of the checks to a much higher figure and then these doctored checks were deposited into the accomplices’ bank accounts. From that point, cash would be withdrawn against these fraudulent checks.
Between April 16, 2019 and June 4, 2019, according to the charges, another group of defendants allegedly conducted five electronic money transfers moving the cash from deposits into two co-defendants’ accounts—in essence laundering the stolen money.
United States Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said, “Postal Inspectors have zero tolerance for those who victimize consumers using the U.S. Mail. This is why Postal Inspectors, along with our law enforcement partners, are relentless in investigating these cases to ensure alleged criminals like these, are brought to justice for the crime of mail theft.”
City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell added, “Mailbox fishing is a very serious crime – where victims are often unaware that a theft has been committed until months later. Today’s charges serve as an example to those who believe they can get away with victimizing hardworking members of our communities by stealing from the U.S. Postal Service. In conjunction with our law-enforcement partners, the NYPD will identify you, will arrest you, and will deliver justice.”
