NJ Men Stole 200 Checks From Mailboxes In Montclair, Verona: Police

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Two Essex County residents have been accused of stealing more than 200 checks from U.S. Post Office mailboxes in Montclair and Verona, authorities announced Thursday.

The suspects – who live in Bloomfield and East Orange – were arrested and charged Wednesday, according to the Montclair Police Department.

Montclair police released a statement about the thefts and ensuing investigation, which launched nearly two years ago:

“Beginning in June of 2021, the Montclair Police Department began receiving an influx of reports from township residents indicating a theft of checks from various local U.S. Post Office mail collection boxes throughout town. The Verona Police Department also experienced similar incidents. After a review of the incident reports taken by the Verona Police Department, it was determined that the pattern of fraudulent activity was the same when compared to Montclair’s incidents.”

Montclair and Verona police started a joint investigation into the thefts, which revealed some eyebrow-raising totals, authorities said:

“To date, the Montclair Police Department has taken 143 individual incident reports consisting of 194 stolen checks, totaling $2,018,446 in financial loss to township residents. The Verona Police Department took approximately 35 reports totaling a loss of $266,879, totaling an aggregate loss of $2,285,325 between the residents of Montclair and Verona.”

Here’s how the scheme took place, police said:

“The investigation revealed that the victim(s) would place an envelope(s) containing personal and/or business check(s) into stand-alone mailboxes located within Montclair and Verona. The mailed checks would never reach their intended destination and, instead, would be stolen. Shortly after the checks were placed into the mailbox, a fraudulent transaction would post to the victim’s respective bank account. The transactions were unauthorized withdrawals by various unknown persons using the victims’ stolen checks. On most occasions, the checks were altered and signed by the suspects, and deposited into unknown bank accounts by either mobile deposit or ATM deposits.”

Detectives eventually identified two suspects in the case: Noaha S. Dean, 26, of Bloomfield, and Collin D. Crawford, 25, of East Orange.

“Dean and Crawford had access to stolen USPS Arrow Keys to enter USPS mailboxes, and would enter the mailboxes and steal the mail during the early morning hours,” Montclair police alleged.

Members of the United States Marshalls Service apprehended Dean on the following charges out of Montclair: Trafficking in Personal Identifying Information - 2nd Degree, Conspiracy - 2nd Degree, Trafficking - 2nd Degree, Promotion of Organized Street Crime - 3rd Degree, Receiving Stolen Property – 3rd Degree (15 counts), Forgery – 3rd Degree (four counts), Theft by Deception – 3rd degree (two counts).

Crawford was arrested by the New Jersey State Police and turned over to Montclair and Verona authorities. He was charged in Montclair with 3rd degree theft (four counts).

Dean and Crawford also face additional charges in Verona, authorities said.

“This was a lengthy and extremely complex investigation, which was brought to a successful conclusion due the diligence and hard work of these Montclair and Verona investigators,” Montclair Police Chief Todd Conforti said, commending the involved officers.

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