2 Men Stole Checks From Mailboxes In North Jersey Towns

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Two New Jersey men have admitted to stealing checks from mailboxes in Livingston and Clifton, authorities announced Wednesday.

Leslie Blackwood, 25, of Irvington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal checks from the mail, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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Verly Antenor, 24, of Roselle Park, pleaded guilty on July 16 to the same charge, prosecutors said.

Here's how the theft scheme worked, prosecutors alleged:

"Between September 2021 to March 2022, Blackwood and Antenor agreed with other individuals to steal checks from the mail. They possessed and used stolen or misappropriated arrow keys to access USPS collection boxes in Livingston and Clifton and steal mail containing checks. To profit from the scheme, Blackwood and Antenor sold, deposited, or caused to be deposited the stolen checks to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions. Blackwood and Antenor sometimes 'washed' the stolen checks by erasing the date, payee, amount, and memo line from the stolen checks and replacing the information, oftentimes for higher amounts than the amounts originally written on the checks."

Blackwood and Antenor agreed that the scheme caused an overall actual loss of approximately $670,313, authorities said.

Prosecutors credited inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Livingston Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department for aiding with the investigation.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail theft carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.

Sentencing for Antenor is scheduled for Dec. 17, 2026.

Sentencing for Blackwood is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2027.

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