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US Postal Service

COVID-19: NYers Should Order Free At-Home Tests, Officials Say COVID-19: NYers Should Order Free At-Home Tests, Officials Say
Covid-19: NYers Should Order Free At-Home Tests, Officials Say As the season for respiratory illnesses begins, New York health officials are urging residents to take advantage of free COVID-19 test kits being offered by the federal government.  In an announcement on Friday, Oct. 4, the New York State Department of Health advised New Yorkers to order free rapid test kits, which are being offered to US households through the US Postal Service.  Each household can receive four at-home test kits, the government announced on Friday, Sept. 27.  Earlier Report - Covid-19: Free At-Home Tests Are Now Available To Order Online While Supplie…
Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices
Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices A Northern Westchester man has been accused of threatening to kill US Postal Service employees and burn down post officers. Ossining resident Anthony Alfano, age 46, was arrested in Yorktown Heights on Friday, July 19, after making violent threats against USPS employees and threatening to burn down US post offices in Ossining, according to federal authorities.  The threats were made amid frustrations over a delayed parcel containing cremated remains from Florida, according to Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. According to court filings, Alfano th…
Mail Truck Bursts Into Flames In Residential Hudson Valley Neighborhood Mail Truck Bursts Into Flames In Residential Hudson Valley Neighborhood
Mail Truck Bursts Into Flames In Residential Hudson Valley Neighborhood A residential road in the Hudson Valley was temporarily closed after a mail truck caught on fire. The incident happened in Putnam County on Friday, June 7 just before 4 p.m., when a US Postal Service delivery truck went up in flames on Fairmont Road in Mahopac, according to the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department.  The roadway was closed for about a half hour as crews worked to extinguish the blaze.  No injuries resulted from the fire, the department said. Firefighters did not detail the cause of the blaze.
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…
Mount Vernon Postal Carrier Took Credit Cards, Checks From Mail, Stole Identities: Feds Mount Vernon Postal Carrier Took Credit Cards, Checks From Mail, Stole Identities: Feds
Mount Vernon Postal Carrier Took Credit Cards, Checks From Mail, Stole Identities: Feds A Westchester County postal carrier from Long Island faces federal charges after taking credit cards, checks, and identities from the mail to steal money from those along her route, officials announced.  Nassau County resident Tameka Babulal of Hempstead, age 36, was arrested in connection with the alleged identity theft scheme on Wednesday, May 22, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. Babulal, a mail carrier who worked in the Westchester County city of Mount Vernon, was arrested along with her husband, Hempstead resident 36-year-old Joel Babul…
Beloved Life Member Of Fire Department In Westchester Dies: 'Will Be Greatly Missed' Beloved Life Member Of Fire Department In Westchester Dies: 'Will Be Greatly Missed'
Beloved Life Member Of Fire Department In Westchester Dies: 'Will Be Greatly Missed' A Northern Westchester fire department is mourning the loss of a beloved life member who is remembered for his dedicated service and sardonic sense of humor.  Longtime Bedford resident and Bedford Fire Department life member Peter Perez died on Sunday, May 5 at the age of 90, according to his obituary. Born in Brooklyn in 1933, Perez spent three decades working with the US Postal Service.  He was also a Benevolent Founder of the Bedford Fire Department, where he was a longtime member and former secretary.  In his role as secretary, Perez often wrote up the departm…
Unsolved Murder Of Postal Worker In Westchester Is Focus Of National Crime Podcast Episode Unsolved Murder Of Postal Worker In Westchester Is Focus Of National Crime Podcast Episode
Unsolved Murder Of Postal Worker In Westchester Is Focus Of National Crime Podcast Episode The unsolved stabbing death of a 36-year-old postal worker at a Westchester residence is the subject of the latest episode of a weekly national true crime audio podcast series.  The newest episode of the true crime podcast "APB Cold Case," released on Wednesday, Jan. 10, focuses on the 2007 murder of 36-year-old Stephen Spina in Mamaroneck, which remains unsolved.  Earlier Report - Daughter Searches For Answers 10 Years After Father's Murder In Mamaroneck During the episode, listeners will get to hear from the case detective currently leading the investigation into…
3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In NY, Other States: Officials 3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In NY, Other States: Officials
3K Foreign Contraband Cigarettes Seized, Destroyed By USPS In NY, 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…
Advocates Looking To Protect Historic Westchester County Post Office Advocates Looking To Protect Historic Westchester County Post Office
Advocates Looking To Protect Historic Westchester County Post Office Advocates are hoping to preserve a historic post office building in Westchester County by designating it as a local landmark.  The Yonkers Main Post Office, located at 79-81 Main St. and built in 1927, is at the center of the effort, according to Terry Joshi, President of the Yonkers Committee For Smart Development.  The building, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989, is the only public building representing the Neo-Classical style of architecture from the time, and looks much the same today as it did a century ago, Joshi said.  An appli…
Westchester Man Among 5 Nabbed After Traffic Stop Turns Up Stolen Debit Cards, Forged Checks Westchester Man Among 5 Nabbed After Traffic Stop Turns Up Stolen Debit Cards, Forged Checks
Westchester Man Among 5 Nabbed After Traffic Stop Turns Up Stolen Debit Cards, Forged Checks What began as a traffic stop in the region ended with five people behind bars on numerous weapons and stolen property charges, authorities said. State police in Orange County first spotted the suspects’ vehicle at around 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, as it drove on Highway 84 in the town of Newburgh. Troopers observed the 2015 BMW-328i violating numerous vehicle and traffic laws. The car also had fraudulent Georgia temporary plates, according to police. Inside the vehicle, troopers found five people ranging in age from 22 to 25. A search of the car turned up a loaded Glock 27 pistol, along…
3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family 3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family
3 From Westchester 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 Workers Charged After Fraud Evidence Discovered In Westchester Hotel, Feds Say Postal Workers Charged After Fraud Evidence Discovered In Westchester Hotel, Feds Say
Postal Workers Charged After Fraud Evidence Discovered In Westchester Hotel, Feds Say Three United States Postal Service workers were charged in a bribery and mail theft scheme after evidence was discovered at a Westchester County hotel. Oscar Abreu, age 41, of South Ozone Park, Rafael Grullon, of Manhattan, age 40, and Aldo Palomino Jr., of Long Island City, age 30, were charged in connection with their participation in a conspiracy to receive bribes and steal hundreds of pieces of mail, according to an announcement from Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The US Attorney's Office said the defendants are each charged with …
Man Accused Of Stealing Checks From Mailboxes, Vehicles In Westchester Man Accused Of Stealing Checks From Mailboxes, Vehicles In Westchester
Man Accused Of Stealing Checks From Mailboxes, Vehicles In Westchester A 21-year-old has been accused of stealing checks from mailboxes and unattended vehicles in the area. On Friday, Sept. 16, New York State Police, in conjunction with the United States Postal Inspection Service, arrested Robert Curry Jr., age 21, of Peekskill, after an investigation into larcenies in Northern Westchester County and western Putnam County. Police said the stolen checks were fraudulently deposited. Curry has been charged with: Two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a Class D felony,  Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor Fifth-degree…
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…
COVID-19: Arrival Of Residents From NYC Drives Spike In Cases In These Upstate Counties COVID-19: Arrival Of Residents From NYC Drives Spike In Cases In These Upstate Counties
Covid-19: Arrival Of Residents From NYC Drives Spike In Cases In These Upstate Counties With many downstate New Yorkers flocking to less dense, more rural areas in upstate New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, those regions are reporting a rise in the number of cases of the virus that are spreading. Upstate officials are working to get as many COVID-19 vaccinations completed as quickly as possible as many have fled from New York City and the suburbs during the pandemic in favor of locales further upstate. According to some reports, the number of New York City residents who have moved upstate into the Captial Region’s four largest counties has increased by more than 200 percen…
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…
COVID-19: Cuomo Signs Law Allowing For Absentee Ballots Due To Risk Of Virus COVID-19: Cuomo Signs Law Allowing For Absentee Ballots Due To Risk Of Virus
Covid-19: Cuomo Signs Law Allowing For Absentee Ballots Due To Risk Of Virus Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he signed a law to expand absentee balloting in advance of the November election. Sure to draw the ire and attention of President Donald Trump, on Thursday, Aug. 20, Cuomo signed the three-part package that includes measures that will allow absentee ballot applications to be submitted directly to the Board of Elections. This new law allows a voter to get an absentee ballot due to risk or fear of illness including COVID-19 and ensures all absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day or received by the Board of …
NY AG Vows To Fight Trump’s Efforts 'To Defund USPS, Undermine Elections' NY AG Vows To Fight Trump’s Efforts 'To Defund USPS, Undermine Elections'
NY AG Vows To Fight Trump’s Efforts 'To Defund USPS, Undermine Elections' New York Attorney General Letitia James has vowed to lead the charge in combating the federal government’s "efforts to defund the U.S. Postal Service" and potentially undermine November’s elections. The USPS has cautioned states that it cannot guarantee that all ballots cast for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election will arrive in time to be counted, even if they are mailed by states’ deadlines to submit them. The announcement came as President Donald Trump continues to contend that mail ballots could lead to fraud as he frets about potentially losing the election to Democratic presidential challeng…
Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester Mailboxes Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester Mailboxes
Couple Sentenced For Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester 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…
Couple Admits To Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester Mailboxes Couple Admits To Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester Mailboxes
Couple Admits To Stealing 500 Pieces Of Mail From Westchester Mailboxes A Connecticut couple busted with hundreds of pieces of mail during a traffic stop have pleaded guilty to felony charges for robbing “rural” mailboxes in Northern Westchester. Shamaty Pacheco, 20, and Axel Zuniga-Loor, 25, both of Waterbury, have pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal possession of stolen property, felonies, after being busted earlier this month. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., said that on Feb. 1, Pacheco and Zuniga-Loor stole mail from residents’ “rural” mailboxes in the Banksville neighborhood of North Castle and in Bedford. During the tr…
Postal Worker In Westchester Stole Stamps, Sold Them For Profit, DA Says Postal Worker In Westchester Stole Stamps, Sold Them For Profit, DA Says
Postal Worker In Westchester Stole Stamps, Sold Them For Profit, DA Says Amid issues with stolen mail throughout Westchester, a post office employee in Peekskill is facing charges that allege he stole thousands of stamps which he then sold online for a profit. Antonio Pinheiro, of Westtown in Orange County, was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 4 for allegedly stealing 14,000 stamps from the U.S. Postal Service while he was employed at the post office. He then turned around and sold those stamps through an online marketplace. The thefts took place between July and October last year. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., said that the stol…
Postal Worker Arrested For Allegedly Dumping Mail In Woods In Westchester Postal Worker Arrested For Allegedly Dumping Mail In Woods In Westchester
Postal Worker Arrested For Allegedly Dumping Mail In Woods In Westchester A U.S. Postal worker has been arrested for dumping a large amount of mail in the woods in Somers. Stephen Harris,  age and address unknown, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 25 by USPS-OIG agents and New York State Police, and charged with official misconduct and obstruction of public servants generally, said Jeffrey Powers, Assistant Special Agent In Charge with the U.S. Postal Service, Inspector General's Office. The mail was found in Somers near the intersection of Voris Drive and Wellington Lane. The undelivered mail was recovered by agents and the investigation is ongoing, he said. Harris …
Worker Under Investigation After Mail Found Dumped In Woods In Westchester Worker Under Investigation After Mail Found Dumped In Woods In Westchester
Worker Under Investigation After Mail Found Dumped In Woods In Westchester The U.S. Postal Service is investigating an employee after boxes of mail were found dumped in the woods in Northern Westchester. The mail was found in Somers near the intersection of Voris Drive and Wellington Lane. An investigation is currently underway into an allegation involving undelivered mail in Somers, confirmed Jeffrey Powers, Assistant Special Agent in Charge with the Inspector General's Office. The undelivered mail was recovered by agents and the investigation is ongoing, he said. At this time, Powers said the office could not release additional information to the public, due t…
Officer Killed In Crash With USPS Truck Was Westchester Police Academy Grad Officer Killed In Crash With USPS Truck Was Westchester Police Academy Grad
Officer Killed In Crash With USPS Truck Was Westchester Police Academy Grad The Carmel police officer who was killed when his motorcycle was struck by a U.S. mail truck  in Putnam County late last week is being remembered for his "big heart and contagious laugh." Gary Pietropaolo, 29, was off-duty while driving east on Route 301 in Carmel when he was hit by the postal truck driven by 57-year-old Mary Gosney-Hyatt of  Holmes as she was pulling out of a driveway. around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7, according to Kent Police Chief Alexander DiVernieri Jr. Pietropaolo, of Fishkill, graduated from the Westchester County Police Academy in 2011 and began his caree…
Ex-Postal Worker Charged In Connection With Westchester Mail Thefts Ex-Postal Worker Charged In Connection With Westchester Mail Thefts
Ex-Postal Worker Charged In Connection With Westchester Mail Thefts A former U.S. Postal Service employee who recently resigned from her post in Yonkers is among two who local residents who have been arrested in connection to mail theft in the area. Following the recent rash of recently reported stolen mail in the region - which has led to multiple arrests in multiple cases in Westchester - Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Police Commissioner Charles Gardner announced the arrest of two School Street residents who are facing multiple charges for their alleged role in mail theft. In recent weeks, police in Yonkers have received reports of more than 80 reported in…
Off-Duty Hudson Valley Police Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash Off-Duty Hudson Valley Police Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash
Off-Duty Hudson Valley Police Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash Click here for an updated story: Services Scheduled For Carmel Police Officer, 29, Killed In Crash An off-duty Carmel police officer died after a motorcycle crash with a U.S. Postal vehicle in Kent.  Gary Pietropaolo, 29, was driving on Route 301 when he crashed around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Kent Police Chief Alexander DiVernieri Jr. DiVernieri said the Pietropaolo was traveling east on Route 301 when he collided with a U.S. Postal vehicle, driven by Mary Gosney-Hyatt, 57, of Holmes, as she was pulling out of a driveway. Pietropaolo was transported by Kent Ambulance to Huestis…
Lick It Or Not: Scratch 'N Sniff Postage Stamps Lick It Or Not: Scratch 'N Sniff Postage Stamps
Lick It Or Not: Scratch 'N Sniff Postage Stamps Scratch and sniff postage stamps? You bet. The U.S. Postal Service says it will “add the sweet scent of summer to letters of love, friendship, party invitations and other mailings” when it introduces “Frozen Treats Forever” stamps next month. The new 20-stamp booklet will feature the “whimsical watercolor illustrations” of Margaret Berg of Santa Monica, CA, the Postal Service said in a release Monday. “Scratch-and-sniff” made its debut, coincidentally, around the time that LSD was becoming popular in the mid-60s. As lore has it, an organic chemist was tasked with suspending scents inside m…
DA Calls For Immediate Action To Stem Mail Thefts In Westchester DA Calls For Immediate Action To Stem Mail Thefts In Westchester
DA Calls For Immediate Action To Stem Mail Thefts In Westchester Related story: Pair Caught With Over 100 Pieces Of Stolen Mail In Tarrytown Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. is calling on members of Congress to pressure the U.S. Postal Service to focus its attention and manpower on ending the rash of mail theft in communities throughout the county. Scarpino sent letters to Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, Rep. Nita Lowey and Rep. Elliot Engel this week after police in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains, Tarrytown, Harrison, Purchase, Bronxville, New Rochelle, North Castle and other communities have been investi…
Promoter Shipped Thousands Of Pounds Of Pot To Yonkers, Prosecutor Says Promoter Shipped Thousands Of Pounds Of Pot To Yonkers, Prosecutor Says
Promoter Shipped Thousands Of Pounds Of Pot To Yonkers, Prosecutor Says An entertainment producer from New Jersey shipped thousands of pounds of marijuana for sale hidden in musical speakers from the West Coast to Yonkers and elsewhere, said authorities who busted him and two accused accomplices in a special operation. Oscar Holguin, 38, was arrested in the Central Jersey town of Carteret, just off the New Jersey Turnpike, where authorities said he was assisted by 27-year-old local barmaid Natalie Stojano. Also busted were Holguin’s girlfriend, Paula Amador, 29, also of Englewood, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said. Detectives from Calo’s office …
Union Head: 'Lack Of Proper Staffing' To Blame For Westchester Mail Woes Union Head: 'Lack Of Proper Staffing' To Blame For Westchester Mail Woes
Union Head: 'Lack Of Proper Staffing' To Blame For Westchester Mail Woes The president of the American Postal Workers Union is citing a lack of “proper” staffing at Westchester post offices for the recent rash of shoddy mail service that has been plaguing local residents. Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner announced last week that after inquiring to U.S. Postal Service officials regarding the lack of delivery recently, he received an email from Patricia Irons, the Manager for Public Policy Planning and Analysis for U.S.P.S., who said the matter has been forwarded to the Inspector General. According to Feiner, in recent weeks, he has received daily emails abo…
Beware Of 'Secret Shopper' Scam In Westchester Beware Of 'Secret Shopper' Scam In Westchester
Beware Of 'Secret Shopper' Scam In Westchester A Westchester resident reported that she was the victim of a "Secret Shopper" scam.  The scam began with an email asking if she was interested in the Secret Shopper Program, according to Mount Pleasant police. After agreeing, a U.S. Postal Order arrived in the mail which she then deposited.  The victim sent money to a third party using a Walmart Money transfer.  Police advised, "Please be careful with these gimmicks - if it seems too good to be true, it's probably a scam."