It is a serious crime to steal mail out of a U.S. postal receptacle in New York or any other state. Since many people mail money, as well as documents or letters that may contain private information, the risk for financial loss or identity theft is high regarding theft of personal mail. Three men were recently accused of this criminal offense when officers claimed to have caught them red-handed.
Several police officers say they came upon a few men, three to be exact, who are doing their best to shove an entire U.S. postal mailbox into the back of a car. Authorities say it was not yet dawn when the officers claim to have witnessed the three men carrying a public mailbox to a minivan. Only one man was arrested at the time; that’s because the other two reportedly ran away from the scene.
Charges are still pending regarding the 30-year-old man who was taken into police custody that day. Several local police departments have recently reported other postal crimes. Officers from Yonkers claim they witnessed three men trying to remove the doors of a mailbox to access mail through the deposit slot.
When someone in New York is charged with a criminal offense, it often comes down to one person’s word against another. When one of those people is a police officer, it can be quite challenging to try to avoid conviction. In the past, many who have succeeded have said they attributed their success to aggressive and experienced defense representation in court.
Source: ABC, “Police stumble on 3 men making off with mailbox“, Aaron Katersky, May 11, 2018