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US Postal Service

MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen MAIL-ORDER METH: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen
Mail-order Meth: NJ Man Who Shipped 100 Pounds Gets 14+ Years In Fed Pen A New Jersey man who shipped more than 100 pounds of crystal meth for sale cross-country through the U.S. mail was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison as part of a plea deal. Michael Venditti, 39, of Camden, was arrested during a controlled delivery of a package in September 2021. It had been intercepted on its way from Calexico, a Southern California town at the Mexican border, federal authorities said. Inspectors got a warrant to open the package after a drug-detection dog reacted to its arrival at a South Jersey postal facility, they said. Inspectors swapped some of the m…
NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards
NJ Postal Worker Admits Spending $54,000 On USPS Credit Cards A post office worker in South Jersey admitted going on a $54,000 personal spending spree, buying power tools, gift cards, groceries and more with U.S. Postal Service plastic. Austin T. Mahan, 44, of Cape May Court House, was working at the Sea Isle and Somers Point facilities when he used postal service credit cards at retail stores in and around New Jersey over a six-month period beginning in 2022, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. "These purchases included thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards as well as various home décor items, home renovation materials, power and handhel…
Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices
Woman From Infamous NJ Sheriff's Job Sting Busted For Burglarizing Post Offices A woman who once made national headlines when she showed up for a job interview with the Hudson County Sheriff's Office only to be busted for nearly a dozen outstanding warrants was arrested for burglarizing a post office she'd been fired from, federal authorities said. Zyeama Johnson, 29, of Jersey City had been sacked by the U.S. Postal Service when she applied for a security guard's job with the county sheriff's office in the fall of 2022. She was also wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Monroe County, PA, and 10 outstanding traffic warrants out of Jersey City at the time. Johnson …
Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment
Teaneck Tax Preparer Got $1.43M For Himself, $40M For Clients In COVID Scam: Indictment A Teaneck tax preparer illegally collected $1.43 million for himself and $40 million for clients from the IRS by purposefully exploiting COVID-related credits that neither he nor they were entitled to, a federal indictment alleges. Leon Haynes, 50, was originally arrested on a criminal complaint last July. The investigation leading to the charges continued before a grand jury in Newark. The result: a 55-count indictment for tax evasion, preparing false returns, aggravated ID theft and mail fraud, authorities said. Haynes fraudulently sought more than $150 million from the IRS by claim…
'Ruthless' Brick City Brims Druglord From Montclair Convicted Of Three Murders, More 'Ruthless' Brick City Brims Druglord From Montclair Convicted Of Three Murders, More
'Ruthless' Brick City Brims Druglord From Montclair Convicted Of Three Murders, More The leader of a notorious Essex County street gang that dominated the region's drug trade was convicted by a federal jury of three murders, among other counts, authorities said. Michael Healy, 43, of Montclair, "ruthlessly ordered murders so that he could protect his narcotics operation and continue to sell large quantities of dangerous [drugs],” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said after federal jurors in Newark returned their verdicts on Wednesday, April 3. Healy "recruited men to kill someone he thought was an informant, and even when they killed the wrong person – a bystander – he ord…
IN PLAIN SIGHT: Postal Carrier Collected Disability While Operating Morris Travel Agency: Feds IN PLAIN SIGHT: Postal Carrier Collected Disability While Operating Morris Travel Agency: Feds
IN Plain Sight: Postal Carrier Collected Disability While Operating Morris Travel Agency: Feds A Morris County postal carrier collected $155,000 in disability benefits from the federal government while continuing to operate the travel agency that she founded nearly 20 years ago, authorities charged. Pamela VanSyckle, 60, of Oak Ridge, was released on $100,000 unsecured bond following a first appearance in U.S. District Court in Newark on Wednesday. VanSyckle -- who owns and operates Kingdom Konsultants Travel -- is charged with federal employee compensation fraud and making false statements. VanSyckle began receiving disability benefits in September 2020 for an injury that she clai…
Trafficker Who Mailed Hundreds Of Pounds Of Coke From PR To NJ, Philly Gets 5 Years, No Parole Trafficker Who Mailed Hundreds Of Pounds Of Coke From PR To NJ, Philly Gets 5 Years, No Parole
Trafficker Who Mailed Hundreds Of Pounds Of Coke From PR To NJ, Philly Gets 5 Years, No Parole UPDATE: A member of a crew that purchased hundreds of pounds of cocaine in Puerto Rico that they shipped to South Jersey and Philadelphia via overnight mail was sentenced to a plea-bargained five years in federal prison. Lester Santana, 53, of Egg Harbor Township, and his co-conspirators flew to San Juan on dozens of commercial flights from Philadelphia International Airport, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Phillip Sellinger said. They paid cash for multi-kilo quantities, then used overnight delivery from U.S. Post Office branches in San Juan to various addresses in Philadelphia and southern N…
Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole
Feds: Mailbox ‘Fisher’ Who Plagued Bergen, Morris, Hudson Gets 27 Months Without Parole UPDATE: A member of a crew that fished more than $100,000 worth of checks from mailboxes in Bergen, Hudson and Morris counties is headed to federal prison for more than two years. Brando Mancebopujols, 24, will have to serve just about all of the plea-bargained 27-month sentence because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Mancebopujols, formerly of Paterson, admitted that he and his associates pocketed the money by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they controlled, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. As many as 40 postal boxes had been broken into…
Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud
Teaneck Tax Preparer Busted By IRS In $32.6 Million COVID Fraud A tax preparer from Teaneck was arrested Monday for illegally collecting more than $1 million for himself and $31.6 million for clients in tax refunds by filing fraudulent returns with the government, federal authorities said. Leon Haynes, 49, sought $124.8 million combined from the IRS in nearly 1,400 bogus tax formers that he filed claiming COVID-related employment tax credits, said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Acting Deputy U.S. Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg. "Based on Haynes’ false claims about his own companies, the U.S. Treasury mailed him multiple tax re…
Kind, Loving, Generous: Death Of NJ Postal Service Veteran, 67, Mourned Kind, Loving, Generous: Death Of NJ Postal Service Veteran, 67, Mourned
Kind, Loving, Generous: Death Of NJ Postal Service Veteran, 67, Mourned A 67-year-old retiree from Wood-Ridge was in cardiac arrest when he was pulled from a backyard pool, family members said. Dennis R. Haggerty was in the above-ground pool on Windsor Road when he suffered the attack shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday, July 6, loved ones said. A family member and a neighbor quickly got him out, they said. CPR was conducted and a defibrillator used on Haggerty, who was later pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center, Wood-Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Biamonte said. "Denny" Haggerty was described by many as kind, loving, gentle and generous. Formerly …
Missing Postal Worker's Body Recovered From Jersey Shore Missing Postal Worker's Body Recovered From Jersey Shore
Missing Postal Worker's Body Recovered From Jersey Shore The search for Corey McFadden has come to a tragic end. The body of the missing 33-year-old postal worker, who was reported missing by co-workers on Monday, May 1, was recovered approximately a mile off the Sandy Hook coast after being spotted by a fisherman on Monday, May 22, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. McFadden, of Lower Township, was a U.S. Postal Service employee who have delivered mail in Cape May City since 2019, a manager said. His car was found on Sunday, April 30 along the Garden State Parkway, Wall Township police previously said. The vehicle was unoccupied on…
Missing Cape May Postal Worker Had Contact With Police Before Disapperance Missing Cape May Postal Worker Had Contact With Police Before Disapperance
Missing Cape May Postal Worker Had Contact With Police Before Disapperance The Cape May postal worker who went missing had contact with police using a fake last name on Sunday, April 30, authorities said. Corey McFadden, using an alias “Corey Samuels,” had contact with Manasquan Police during the evening hours of April 30, according to Lower Township police. The above photo was provided from the officer's body camera. Authorities did not say why McFadden interacted with Manasquan police. McFadden, 33, of Lower Township was reported missing by co-workers on Monday, May 1, after not showing up for work, Lower Township police said. McFadden is a U.S. Postal Servi…
Missing Cape May Postal Worker's Car Found Along Garden State Parkway Missing Cape May Postal Worker's Car Found Along Garden State Parkway
Missing Cape May Postal Worker's Car Found Along Garden State Parkway Police in two towns seek the public's help with a missing person investigation. Corey McFadden, 33, of Lower Township was reported missing by co-workers on Monday, May 1, after not showing up for work, Lower Township police said. McFadden is a U.S. Postal Service employee who have delivered mail in Cape May City since 2019, a manager said. Wall Township police, meanwhile, said McFadden's car was found on Sunday, April 30 along the Garden State Parkway. The vehicle was unoccupied on the shoulder of the Parkway northbound near milepost 96.4 at approximately 11:15 a.m., Wall police said. W…
GOTCHA! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say GOTCHA! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say
Gotcha! Porch Pirate Pinched After Pilfering Package, Rochelle Park Police Say Porch pirating is in full swing as Christmas draws nearer, say Rochelle Park police who worked with their colleagues in Essex County to nab a suspect from South Jersey. A doorbell camera at a West Oldis Street home captured images of 21-year-old Leandro Malara of Gloucester City snatching a package, Lt. James M. DePreta said. Malara wore a distinctive Adidas-style tracksuit and left his four-door 2018 Maserati -- with stolen license plates--  running out front, he said. Detective Brian Cobb broadcast images of the package thief and was working soon after with his colleagues in Millbu…
US Customs Tip Leads To Major Drug, Weapons Bust On Jersey Shore US Customs Tip Leads To Major Drug, Weapons Bust On Jersey Shore
US Customs Tip Leads To Major Drug, Weapons Bust On Jersey Shore A tip from a U.S. Customs agent led to a major bust in Ocean County. At approximately 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, detectives from the Brick Street Crimes Unit, along with detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, agents from the U.S. Postal Service, and agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made a warranted search at the Mantoloking Road home of Lucian Demarco, 37, Brick police said. The search resulted in the seizure of psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax pills, psilocybin tablets, marijuana, three firearms, a large amount of drug paraphernalia and packaging material…
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale
Feds: NJ, NY Postal Workers Stole Credit Cards To Buy $1.3M In Luxury Items For Online Resale Three U.S. Postal Service workers from New Jersey and New York City masterminded a scheme to buy more than $1.3 million worth of designer clothes and accessories using credit cards that they stole from the mail, federal authorities charged. The items were then sold with the help of an entrepreneur who operated an online shopping site, they said. Nathanael Foucault, Johnathan “Junzie-J” Persaud, and Fabiola “Lady Fab” Mompoint passed the cards to a quintet of shoppers who bought the items at department stores in New Jersey and the city with the stolen credit cards, an indictment returned by …
Feds: Postal Supervisor In NJ Sold 400 Vax Cards That She Printed At Work Feds: Postal Supervisor In NJ Sold 400 Vax Cards That She Printed At Work
Feds: Postal Supervisor In NJ Sold 400 Vax Cards That She Printed At Work A U.S. Postal Service supervisor from New Jersey openly sold 400 bogus COVID vaccine cards that she printed at her job -- while claiming that a graphic design degree was "paying off" for her, federal authorities charged. Lisa Hammell, 39, of the South Jersey town of Turnersville, sold the cards for from $20 to $100 after advertising them on social media, an indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Newark says. Two of the buyers were from New Jersey and another was a federal employee in Virginia whose mother needed the card because she worked in a hospital and had to be …
Amtrak Worker Gets 18 Months Without Parole For Selling Stolen Agency Equipment Amtrak Worker Gets 18 Months Without Parole For Selling Stolen Agency Equipment
Amtrak Worker Gets 18 Months Without Parole For Selling Stolen Agency Equipment UPDATE: A now-former Amtrak employee from the Jersey Shore was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for selling hundreds of chainsaws and chainsaw parts that he stole from the agency. Jose Rodriguez, 49, of Brick, will have to serve out the entire sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Rodriguez had collected 114 chainsaws, 122 chainsaw replacement bars and 222 replacement chains worth more than $76,000 before he was caught, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. He sold the items through online auction and directly to buyers, using the U.S. Postal Serv…
NJ Feds: California Gal Admits Running $9.9 Million Counterfeit Coupon Scam NJ Feds: California Gal Admits Running $9.9 Million Counterfeit Coupon Scam
NJ Feds: California Gal Admits Running $9.9 Million Counterfeit Coupon Scam UPDATE: A California woman admitted in federal court in New Jersey that she created and sold more than $9.9 million worth of counterfeit coupons used at retail stores throughout the country. Using the name “Mandy Carr,” Tong Lor printed Carolina coupons with fake bar codes for household items such as diapers, laundry detergent, and toiletries and then mailed them to customers nationwide, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Lor, 34, of Modesto sold the counterfeit coupons via invitation-only Internet groups associated with her businesses: Mandy’s Treasure Box, Mandy's Knitting …
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years
Conspirator Who Used NJ High School Students To Cash Stolen COVID Stimulus Checks Gets 4 Years One of a nest of criminals who paid New Jersey high school students to cash COVID stimulus checks stolen from the mail was sentenced to four years in federal prison. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Jeffrey Bennett, 27, of Irvington, must serve just about all of the plea-bargained sentence rubber-stamped by a U.S. District Court judge in Newark via videoconference on Monday, Feb. 14. Bennett -- a reputed associate of a group called "The Members" -- recruited U.S. Postal Service employees to steal checks, checkbooks, debit cards, and credit cards from the mail in excha…
DUMB CRIMINAL FILE: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge DUMB CRIMINAL FILE: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge
Dumb Criminal File: Gunman Botches Robberies Of Mail Carriers In Bergen, Passaic, Feds Charge A 20-year-old Paterson man was arrested after he tried and failed to rob postal carriers in Bergen and Passaic counties at gunpoint on the same day, federal authorities said. Yeniser Cruz Perez was carrying a gun when he approached one of the U.S. Postal Service carriers in the area of Brownstone Court and Wyckoff Avenue in Wyckoff on Jan. 20, 2020 and demanded the master key used to open mail collection boxes and apartment panels, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. The only problem: The worker didn't have one, Sellinger said. That same day, he said, Cruz Perez approached another USPS…
Ex-Amtrak Worker From NJ Admits Stealing, Selling Agency Equipment Ex-Amtrak Worker From NJ Admits Stealing, Selling Agency Equipment
Ex-Amtrak Worker From NJ Admits Stealing, Selling Agency Equipment UPDATE: For more than eight years, a now-former Amtrak employee from the Jersey Shore collected chainsaws and chainsaw parts from the agency, then sold them and kept the money. Federal authorities eventually caught on to Jose Rodriguez, 49, of Brick, then got a conviction for mail fraud. Hired in October 2007, Rodriguez worked as a senior engineer and repairman at Amtrak's North Brunswick facility, authorities said. Five years later, Rodriguez admitted in federal court, he began gathering equipment under the false pretense that they'd be used for company projects. Before he was caught in …
POSTAGE SCAM: Brothers Who Co-Owned Bergen E-Commerce Company Admit Cheating Gov't Out Of $3M POSTAGE SCAM: Brothers Who Co-Owned Bergen E-Commerce Company Admit Cheating Gov't Out Of $3M
Postage Scam: Brothers Who Co-Owned Bergen E-Commerce Company Admit Cheating Gov't Out Of $3M Two brothers who co-owned a Bergen County e-commerce company admitted short-changing the government by more than $3 million in postage by altering hundreds of thousands of labels intended for envelopes and slapping them on outbound packages. Jack Koch, 44, of Elmwood Park, and Steven Koch, 43, of Pompton Lakes, owned Fresh N Clear, a high-volume business that sold various household items online that were shipped o customers via the Postal Service, federal authorities said. Over the course of several months in 2020, the company bought 240,471 USPS Priority Mail postage labels, “almost all fo…
Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town
Ring Member Convicted In $565,091 IRS Scam That Sent Refund Checks To Same NJ Town A New Jersey woman was convicted of participating in a massive ID theft scheme that had $565,091 in tax refunds from the IRS sent to a small section of the same town. Awilda Henriquez, 35, took her chances with a trial after three of her accomplices took guilty pleas. She was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Camden on Thursday of 27 counts involving defrauding the federal government, mail theft, stealing government money and aggravated ID theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Ring members filed more than 3,300 tax returns in 2013 using the names and Social Security numbe…
GOING POSTAL: Hudson County Man Admits Pulling Over, Pointing Gun At Mail Carrier GOING POSTAL: Hudson County Man Admits Pulling Over, Pointing Gun At Mail Carrier
Going Postal: Hudson County Man Admits Pulling Over, Pointing Gun At Mail Carrier A Hudson County man admitted Tuesday that he pulled over a postal worker and pointed a gun at him. What motivated Joseph Cartagena, 34, of Jersey City, wasn't clear when he pleaded guilty via videoconference with a federal judge in Newark to one count of assaulting a federal employee. The U.S. Postal Service employee told police that he got out of his truck and approached Cartagena to find out why he had him stop on March 3, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Cartagena then "pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the postal employee," Honig said. "The postal employee immediately p…
Jersey Shore Man Admits Labeling Hong Kong-Bound Shipment Of Iguanas As 'Toys' Jersey Shore Man Admits Labeling Hong Kong-Bound Shipment Of Iguanas As 'Toys'
Jersey Shore Man Admits Labeling Hong Kong-Bound Shipment Of Iguanas As 'Toys' A Jersey Shore man admitted Tuesday that he falsely labeled a package containing 10 live iguanas bound for Hong Kong as “toys," federal authorities said. Jason Ksepka, 44, of Farmingdale, shipped the package via U.S. Priority Mail Express from the post office in Lambertville, Acting U.S Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. An unidentified sender paid him $500 to falsely label the package and ship it to Hong Kong, on top of $500 that he’d already given him, Honig said. Ksepka labeled the contents as “Toys” and the sender as “Luke Jacobs” on a U.S. Postal Service international shipping label and…
BUSTED: 31 Nabbed, 14 Pounds Of Coke, Firearms Seized In Massive Drug Distribution Scheme BUSTED: 31 Nabbed, 14 Pounds Of Coke, Firearms Seized In Massive Drug Distribution Scheme
Busted: 31 Nabbed, 14 Pounds Of Coke, Firearms Seized In Massive Drug Distribution Scheme Thirty-one people were arrested following a months-long New Jersey drug distribution scheme that netted 14.3 pounds of cocaine, two firearms and more than $193,000 in cash, authorities announced. An investigation into “Operation Triple Tragedy” involved law enforcement agencies from Somerset, Union, and Middlesex counties and the U.S. Postal Service. Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said the following arrests were made on June 4: Arrests made in “Operation Triple Tragedy”Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Joselin Castillo, aka “Tragedy," 30, Grandview Avenue Edison Po…
Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years
Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years A New Jersey mail carrier took bribes for five years to help people use the U.S. Postal Service to ship coke, pot and other contraband through the mail. Emerson Pavilus, 46, of Union was working for the post office in Flanders when he took the payoffs, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. “Among other things, Pavilus provided his conspirators with addresses in Flanders to which parcels could be shipped, intercepted those parcels from the mail stream, and personally delivered those parcels to conspirators at addresses other than those listed on the parcels,” Honig said. Pavilus was n…
Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years
Feds: NJ Mail Carrier Picked Up, Delivered Drugs For Years A New Jersey mail carrier took bribes for five years to help people use the U.S. Postal Service to ship coke, pot and other contraband through the mail. Emerson Pavilus, 46, of Union was working for the post office in Flanders when he took the payoffs, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. “Among other things, Pavilus provided his conspirators with addresses in Flanders to which parcels could be shipped, intercepted those parcels from the mail stream, and personally delivered those parcels to conspirators at addresses other than those listed on the parcels,” Honig said. Pavilus was n…
Ex-Con Who Cut Female Postal Carrier During Carjacking Gets 82 Months In Federal Prison Ex-Con Who Cut Female Postal Carrier During Carjacking Gets 82 Months In Federal Prison
Ex-Con Who Cut Female Postal Carrier During Carjacking Gets 82 Months In Federal Prison UPDATE: An ex-con who attacked a postal carrier with a box cutter while carjacking her SUV is headed to federal prison for more than 6½ years. Wallace Johnson, 32, of Newark, must spend just about all of the 82 months because there's no parole in the federal prison system.  The U.S. Postal Service carrier was taking a break behind the wheel of her Dodge Durango on June 6, 2020 when Johnson walked up and held the knife to her throat, cutting her skin, in the 80s block of Cedar Avenue, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Johnson “demanded that the postal employee get out of the …
NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots
NJ Postal Carrier Admits Dumping Election Ballots A postal carrier from Hudson County admitted Thursday in federal court that he dumped 1,875 pieces of mail -- including general election ballots and campaign flyers – instead of delivering them. Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny was nabbed by special agents of the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General after a Saddle Brook man reported finding dumped bundles of mail in a dumpster behind a North Arlington bank last fall. The mail tossed by Beauchene included 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Or…