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US Postal Service

US Postal Service Urges CT Mail-In Voters To Send Ballots Ahead Of Election Day US Postal Service Urges CT Mail-In Voters To Send Ballots Ahead Of Election Day
US Postal Service Urges CT Mail-In Voters To Send Ballots Ahead Of Election Day The US Postal Service is deploying "extraordinary measures" to make sure it can handle an influx of mail-in ballots from Connecticut voters in the final weeks before Election Day, officials said. In an announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 29, Connecticut postal officials said they will continue putting measures into place through Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5 to "swiftly move" ballot mail and make sure votes are successfully delivered. Some of these measures include making extra deliveries and collections; special pick-ups; and adding specialized sort plans at processing facilities to quicken de…
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…
Mail Theft: Former CT Postal Carrier Admits Stealing Packages, Feds Say Mail Theft: Former CT Postal Carrier Admits Stealing Packages, Feds Say
Mail Theft: Former CT Postal Carrier Admits Stealing Packages, Feds Say A 37-year-old former Connecticut postal carrier has admitted to stealing packages while on the job, federal officials announced.  New Haven County resident Shawn Fuller of Hamden, who once worked as a US Postal Service carrier in Meriden, pleaded guilty to a mail theft offense on Friday, Feb. 16, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  Earlier Report - Mail Theft: Meriden Postal Carrier Charged With Stealing Packages, Distributing Cocaine According to federal officials, while working as a mail carrier, Fuller was investigated for stealing package…
$874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds $874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds
$874K Scheme: Former Danbury Postmaster Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds A 50-year-old Massachusetts man who once served as postmaster for a Fairfield County post office has admitted to defrauding the US Postal Service out of over $874,000 as part of a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that he operated, officials announced. Former Brookfield resident Ephrem D. Nguyen, age 50, pleaded guilty to a fraud offense related to his scheme on Friday, Oct. 13, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Nguyen, who now lives in Quincy, Massachusetts in Norfolk County, had been employed b…
Man Steals Keys, Breaks Into CT Post Office Mail Boxes, Faces More Than Decade In Jail, Feds Man Steals Keys, Breaks Into CT Post Office Mail Boxes, Faces More Than Decade In Jail, Feds
Man Steals Keys, Breaks Into CT Post Office Mail Boxes, Faces More Than Decade In Jail, Feds A man faces over 10 years in federal prison after using stolen postal keys to break into mailboxes at post offices in Connecticut, officials said. Ixavier Holman Jr., age 31, of Secaucus, New Jersey, was arrested on Monday, June 12 on federal mail theft offenses, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, on at least six separate incidents between December 2022 and June 2023, Holman would steal mail collection box keys and use them to take mail from blue collection boxes at the following post offices in New Haven County:&nb…
Mail Theft: CT Postal Carrier Charged With Stealing Packages, Distributing Cocaine Mail Theft: CT Postal Carrier Charged With Stealing Packages, Distributing Cocaine
Mail Theft: CT Postal Carrier Charged With Stealing Packages, Distributing Cocaine A US Postal Service mail carrier in Connecticut faces potentially decades in prison after federal agents say he stole mail and distributed cocaine.  New Haven County resident Shawn R. Fuller, age 36, of Hamden, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and three counts of theft of mail by a postal employee, the US Attorney for Connecticut said. Fuller was released on a $100,000 bond, the prosecutor said. Fuller, who worked at a post office in Meriden, was under investigation for stealing mail when investigators said they saw him open two packages on April 1…
3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In CT, Other States: Officials 3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In CT, Other States: Officials
3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In CT, Other States: Officials Around 3,000 packages of foreign contraband cigarettes bound for Connecticut, New York, and other states have been found and destroyed by the US Postal Service since the beginning of the year, officials said.  According to Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, the seizures were a result of a settlement between the USPS and several states in August 2022 that forced the Postal Service to destroy untaxed foreign cigarettes instead of returning the illegally-mailed packages back to the sender.  Of the 3,000 cigarette packages destroyed since the beginning of 2023, 44 had bee…
Cocaine Shipped Through Mail: CT Man Busted After Picking It Up, Will Spend Years In Jail Cocaine Shipped Through Mail: CT Man Busted After Picking It Up, Will Spend Years In Jail
Cocaine Shipped Through Mail: CT Man Busted After Picking It Up, Will Spend Years In Jail A Meriden man will spend years in prison after picking up packages full of cocaine that were shipped through the US Postal Service. Jean Carlos Mercado, age 34, was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 10 to 50 months in prison for participating in a drug trafficking organization that sent kilogram quantities of cocaine through the US Mail, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  In October 2020, authorities identified several suspicious packages that were being mailed to an address in Meridan from Puerto Rico. On Oct. 26, 2020, Mercado was identified when he went …
Police Release Surveillance Image Of Suspected Mail Thief In Fairfield County Police Release Surveillance Image Of Suspected Mail Thief In Fairfield County
Police Release Surveillance Image Of Suspected Mail Thief In Fairfield County Police in Fairfield County are investigating numerous thefts from mailboxes that have occurred over the past several weeks where mail was stolen from many residential neighborhoods during the day.  Police are seeking to identify a suspect vehicle that was spotted taking mail from a residential mailbox in Trumbull near the borders of Monroe and Shelton on Monday, Nov. 28. The small white vehicle was observed stopping at mailboxes where the passenger reached out, opened the mailbox, and stole the contents before leaving the area, said Lt. Brian Weir, of the …
5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family 5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family
5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family Five New York men, including three from Westchester County, have been accused of overseeing and operating a 15-year long, large-scale illegal, online gambling business with suspected ties to the Lucchese crime family, federal authorities announced. An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 14 charging them for their roles overseeing and operating a large-scale illegal, online gambling business under the protection of the Lucchese organized crime family. The gambling business known as “Rhino Sports” utilized an offshore website and dozens of bookmakers in …
Postal Employee From Fairfield County Admits To Theft Of Mail Postal Employee From Fairfield County Admits To Theft Of Mail
Postal Employee From Fairfield County Admits To Theft Of Mail A Connecticut postal worker who admitted to carrying a gun and using drugs on the job has also copped to federal charges of mail theft. Umberto Pignataro, age 46, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in federal court in Bridgeport Tuesday, Aug. 9. Prosecutors said Pignataro stole hundreds of pieces of mail between December 2020 and May 2021, while working as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service in Norwalk. Among the pilfered items were packages and greetings cards that contained cash, gift cards, and other valuable items, prosecutors said. Pignatoro was e…
CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker
CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker A Connecticut man is heading to federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring that involved a US Postal worker. Kendall Hooks, age 50, of Hartford, was sentenced to more than 5 years behind bars Wednesday, May 11, in federal court in Hartford. It came nearly nine months after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, the US Attorney’s Office said. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Hartford and the US Postal Inspection Service that revea…
Uptick In Stolen, Altered Checks Reported In Fairfield County Town Uptick In Stolen, Altered Checks Reported In Fairfield County Town
Uptick In Stolen, Altered Checks Reported In Fairfield County Town A Fairfield County town is seeing an uptick in the number of "check washing" cases. Check washing is the process of erasing the details from an already completed check to allow them to be rewritten, Lt. David Wolf of the Westport Police Department said. In most instances, checks that have been put in mailboxes and are awaiting pickup by a postal employee are stolen.  Once stolen, the suspect alters the check by changing the payee as well as the amount and then cash or deposit it at a bank, Wolf said. In Westport, Wolf said the checks that end up being “washed…
Vehicle, Mail Stolen In Weekend Crime Spree In Fairfield County Town Vehicle, Mail Stolen In Weekend Crime Spree In Fairfield County Town
Vehicle, Mail Stolen In Weekend Crime Spree In Fairfield County Town Police in Fairfield County are investigating a weekend crime spree that saw an SUV, mail, and packages stolen in a pair of neighboring towns. Officers from the New Canaan Police Department were dispatched to Rosebrook Road early on Friday, Dec. 17, where there was a report of a stolen 2020 Ford Explorer that was taken overnight after it was left unlocked with the keys inside. Later that day, officers were also called to investigate a reported vehicle that had been entered and had items stolen on Turtleback Lane West. The following day, on Saturday, Dec. 18, officers investigated numerous r…
Police:  Thieves Seek Personal Info In String Of Mail Thefts In Greenwich Police:  Thieves Seek Personal Info In String Of Mail Thefts In Greenwich
Police: Thieves Seek Personal Info In String Of Mail Thefts In Greenwich A police department in one Fairfield County town is warning residents of a rash of mail thefts from residential mailboxes. The Greenwich Police Department, which has patrol officers looking for suspicious activity, said the thieves are looking for outgoing checks or protected personal information. The department is recommending that if possible, residents switch to online banking or bring their bills to the Post Office for mailing.  "If you need to mail a check, regularly review your bank statements to make sure the check has been cashed in the correct amount and to the correct person…
Mail Stolen From Residential Mailboxes Found In Neighboring Town In Fairfield County Mail Stolen From Residential Mailboxes Found In Neighboring Town In Fairfield County
Mail Stolen From Residential Mailboxes Found In Neighboring Town In Fairfield County Police in one Fairfield County town are warning residents that mail was stolen from numerous mailboxes after finding mail along a roadway. The incident took place on Sunday, Nov. 7, when Wilton Police contacted the New Canaan Police department to report finding mail on the side of a road. According to New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski the mail was from mailboxes located on the following New Canaan roads:  Butler Lane Hoyt Farm Road Long Lots Road Shagbark Road Stoneleigh Road Darien experienced similar mail thefts, he added. Krolikowski offered the following tips to prevent t…
Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts
Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts Law enforcement officials are cautioning of a new text message "smishing" scam that involves phony messages being sent from fraudsters posing as members of the US Postal Service (USPS). Alerts have been issued by state and federal officials following recent reports from consumers who have received messages claiming to be from USPS about a change in delivery shipment. The messages typically include a link that could potentially expose one to scammers looking to steal personal identifying information. Many who click the phony link have wound up being hacked or prompted to provide new informat…
Greenwich Man Busted Selling Xanax Purchased On Internet Greenwich Man Busted Selling Xanax Purchased On Internet
Greenwich Man Busted Selling Xanax Purchased On Internet A Fairfield County man has allegedly been busted with a large amount of Xanax that was purchased through the internet.  Stephen Bridge, age 32, of Cos Cob, was arrested on Monday, Feb. 8, on a warrant for an incident that took place on Tuesday, Jan. 19, said Greenwich Police Captain Mark E. Zuccerella.  The investigation into Bridge began when the Greenwich Police Narcotics Section conducted an investigation that he was selling Xanax pills within the town, Zuccerella said. The investigation found that Bridge, was allegedly procuring large amounts of Xanax through the interne…
CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison
CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring. Alex Negron, age 37, of Hartford, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to prison, followed by three years of supervised release, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the DEA's Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service into a drug trafficking organization that was receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California and di…
CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker
CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier after making sexual advances while inside her postal vehicle.  Demorse Kelley, age 39, of Hartford, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Jan. 21, for the Friday, June 7, 2019, event in Hartford, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, a postal letter carrier was sorting mail inside her delivery van that was parked on Sigourney Street in Hartford.   Kelley approached the van from the sidewalk, slid the…
COVID-19: New Data Reveals Number Who Have Moved Out Of NYC During Pandemic, Where They've Gone COVID-19: New Data Reveals Number Who Have Moved Out Of NYC During Pandemic, Where They've Gone
Covid-19: New Data Reveals Number Who Have Moved Out Of NYC During Pandemic, Where They've Gone There are now numbers behind the mass exodus of New York City residents to the suburbs and beyond amid the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 1 through Oct. 31 this year, a total of 295,103 NYC residents have made change-of-address requests. That's according to data The New York Post obtained from the US Postal Service. Most went to Long Island -- a total of more than 40,000 (21,362 to Suffolk County, with 6,500 of that number in six zip codes on the East End, and 18,731 to Nassau County), followed by Westchester County (15,850) and 9,356 to Hudson County, New Jersey (which includes J…
Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail
Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail A 37-year-old area woman pleaded guilty to stealing cash and other items from mail while employed as a postal supervisor at the Town of Fairfield Post Office. Jessica Giles, 37, of West Haven, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to the theft of mail by a postal employee, said John H. Durham, U.S.Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service. According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2019 and May 2020, while she was employed as a supervisor at the U.S. Pos…
Voters Urged To Hand-Deliver Unsent Mail-In Ballots - 'Do Not Rely On USPS' Voters Urged To Hand-Deliver Unsent Mail-In Ballots - 'Do Not Rely On USPS'
Voters Urged To Hand-Deliver Unsent Mail-In Ballots - 'Do Not Rely On USPS' Do not rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver your ballot on time for the election if you haven’t sent it already is the message politicians and reporters are trumpeting following a report that delivery times are way down. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the New York Times reported that the USPS says on-time delivery rates for first-class mail are “far below its target,” the Times tweeted. “Experts warn that, at this point, voters in many parts of the country should hand-deliver ballots to local officials or drop boxes.” Locally, on Tuesday, Hamden State Rep. Michael D'Agostino told voters …
Postal Supervisor From Fairfield County Admits To Stealing Packages Postal Supervisor From Fairfield County Admits To Stealing Packages
Postal Supervisor From Fairfield County Admits To Stealing Packages A former U.S. Postal Service supervisor from Fairfield County is facing jail time after admitting to stealing packages filled with expensive electronics from a Connecticut post office. Stratford resident Zoheb Deura, 34, pleaded guilty this week in Bridgeport district court to embezzlement of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. Between February and April, U.S. Attorney John Durham said that while still employed as a supervisor at the U.S. Post Office in Middletown, Deura stole numerous packages, including packages containing an Apple computer, PlayStation and Nintendo gaming devices, an…
Man Sentenced For $319K Counterfeit Check Fraud Scheme Involving 12 CT Banks Man Sentenced For $319K Counterfeit Check Fraud Scheme Involving 12 CT Banks
Man Sentenced For $319K Counterfeit Check Fraud Scheme Involving 12 CT Banks One of four men who conspired to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars through an elaborate counterfeit check bank fraud scheme that targeted a dozen Connecticut banks has been sentenced. Waterbury resident Jonell Bonilla, 26, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release for his role in the scheme, which went on for more than a year. Between December 2017 and January 2019, Bonilla and his co-conspirators obtained access to bank accounts by recruiting targets through social media and persuading them to share their account information, including deb…
Tong Among State AGs Mobilizing To Stop Trump's 'Unconstitutional, Illegal' USPS Actions Tong Among State AGs Mobilizing To Stop Trump's 'Unconstitutional, Illegal' USPS Actions
Tong Among State AGs Mobilizing To Stop Trump's 'Unconstitutional, Illegal' USPS Actions Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has become the latest elected official to vow to battle President Donald Trump’s efforts to defund the U.S. Postal Service in advance of the November election. Stating that the federal government’s efforts to gut the USPS are aimed at hindering voting in the election, Tong announced that he was joining other attorneys general to stop the “unconstitutional and illegal” actions. “Donald Trump finally admitted what we all knew to be true—he is gutting the U.S. Postal Service in order to block Americans from voting during a raging pandemic,” Tong said. …
Former USPS Employee In CT Charged With Stealing Cash, Gift Cards Former USPS Employee In CT Charged With Stealing Cash, Gift Cards
Former USPS Employee In CT Charged With Stealing Cash, Gift Cards A mail carrier in Connecticut is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing cash and gift cards she was tasked with delivering. West Haven resident Elizabeth Urbani, 42, has been charged with theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee for stealing more than 100 pieces of mail. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that Urbani had been employed by the USPS since 2015, and most recently was a mail carrier assigned to the New Haven Post Office.  In December last year, some USPS customers along Urbani’s mail route submitted complaints that their mail was missing or had been stole…
Former CT Postal Employee Admits To Theft Of Mail Former CT Postal Employee Admits To Theft Of Mail
Former CT Postal Employee Admits To Theft Of Mail A former United States Postal Service worker in Connecticut is facing five years in prison after admitting to stealing mail and gift cards. Waterbury resident Careema Lewis, 33, pleaded guilty in Bridgeport district court this week to the theft of mail by a postal employee, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced. In pleading guilty, Lewis admitted that between September last year and January this year, while employed as a postal worker at the U.S. Post Office in Plymouth, Lewis stole multiple pieces of mail. Durham said that Lewis targeted greeting cards that contained gift cards or other it…
Norwalk Woman Ordered To Pay Back $71.7K In Benefits From Late Mother Norwalk Woman Ordered To Pay Back $71.7K In Benefits From Late Mother
Norwalk Woman Ordered To Pay Back $71.7K In Benefits From Late Mother A Fairfield County woman has been ordered to pay more than $70,000 in annuity benefits she stole from her late mother. Sybil Butler, 57, of Norwalk, was sentenced in Bridgeport district court to three years of probation for stealing the benefits. She must also pay the $71,701.13 in restitution, pay a $1,000 fine and complete 150 hours of community service. Butler’s mother received monthly annuity payments following her retirement from the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Attorney John Durham said. Butler’s mother died in June 2014, but between June 2014 and October 2016, she impersonated her mothe…
CT Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Mailboxes CT Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Mailboxes
CT Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Mailboxes A woman and man from Connecticut who were busted with hundreds of pieces of mail during a traffic stop have been sentenced after admitting to robbing “rural” mailboxes in Northern Westchester. Shamaty Pacheco, 20, and Axel Zuniga-Loor, 25, both of Waterbury, have been sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to one count each of criminal possession of stolen property, felonies, in February. Zuniga-Loor has been behind bars since his arrest. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., said that on Feb. 1, Pacheco and Zuniga-Loor stole mail from residents’ “ru…
Man Who Cashed More Than $60,000 In Stolen Postal Money Orders Sentenced Man Who Cashed More Than $60,000 In Stolen Postal Money Orders Sentenced
Man Who Cashed More Than $60,000 In Stolen Postal Money Orders Sentenced A Connecticut man with a criminal history will spend time in prison after conspiring with his wife to steal more than 150 U.S. Postal money orders and cashing more than $60,000. James Lebel, formerly of the township of Brooklyn in Windham County, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud late last year. Label, 40, and his wife, Michelle Barbeau, a USPS employee at the Wauregan Post Office in Plainfield conspired to take 179 blank money orders and imprinted them with various den…