Police on Saturday arrested four New York City residents found with more than $45,000 of stolen mail in their vehicle.
At about 10:47 a.m. on Feb. 26, officers were dispatched to the area of Hawks Hill Road on a report of a white minivan whose occupants had been seen removing mail and packages from mailboxes in the neighborhood, according to police.
The officers found the suspect vehicle and made contact in the area of Jelliff Mill Road and Shady Knoll Lane, according to a police report.
There, one of the four occupants—the driver, a 19-year-old Staten Island, N.Y. man—told police they were traveling from Staten Island to the Bronx, N.Y., according to the report.
While talking to him, police saw in plain view a piece of mail on the passenger front seat floor that was addressed to a Hawks Hill Road residence, it said.
Following an investigation and search of the vehicle, police found more than 30 pieces of mail from homes in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and stolen checks in excess of $45,000, the report said.
At about 11:52 a.m., the three passengers in the minivan—a 23-year-old New York, N.Y. man, 18-year-old Staten Island, N.Y. woman and 21-year-old Bronx, N.Y. man—each were taken to police headquarters and charged with first-degree larceny, a felony offense, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit third-degree identity theft.
The driver was charged first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft, and also was cited for motor vehicle infractions including driving without a license and failure to renew registration.
The woman was released on $100,000 bond and scheduled to appear March 10 in state Superior Court.
The men each were held on $100,000 bond and scheduled to appear Monday in state Superior Court.
As a result of the arrest, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue an investigation into the incident, police said.
Great job NCP!