35°
Once again, the missing item -- a cashier's check for $6,600 -- had been mailed at the Radburn Post Office.
And once again, Detective Paul Donohue traced it.
Donohue arrested 20-year-old Miguel Ortiz of Paterson, who "admitted to cashing the check into an ATM machine for another [person]," Sgt. Brian Metzler.
Ortiz was released pending a court hearing on charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Meanwhile, an investigation was continuing.
In recent weeks, Donohue has cracked several of the thefts: Fair Lawn Detective On A Roll: Arrests Pile Up In Mailbox Check-Theft Cases
Although stealing mail can be prosecuted as a federal crime that carries a prison term of up to five years for a conviction, thefts continue to increase at an alarming rate.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is conducting a broader investigation into the widespread rash of thefts, most of which come from boxes outside post offices in various towns throughout the U.S.
Thieves who once used wire and adhesive to fish envelopes from the boxes are now simply prying them open and snatching bundles of mail.
Police throughout North Jersey are urging citizens to go into their local post offices to mail anything of value.
They also warn against placing any mail in a free-standing box at night or on a holiday or weekend because it will end up sitting there awhile.
If you see someone fishing or tampering with a mailbox or sitting in a car parked for a long time near one, contact your local police department immediately. Or call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Hotline at (877) 876-2455.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Ridgewood and receive free news updates.
