NJ Postmaster Sexually Assaulted Employee, Officials Say

TEANECK, NJ — A New Jersey postmaster is facing charges after federal prosecutors said he sexually assaulted an employee while working at the U.S. Post Office in Teaneck.

According to a two-count indictment unsealed Tuesday, 47-year-old Gabriel Ekram Pagabe Ali was charged with a federal civil rights violation after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted the victim, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service, while on duty as a postmaster.

Count one of the indictment charges Ali with depriving the victim of her right to bodily integrity when he sexually assaulted her, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey said in a release. Count two of the indictment charges Ali with forcibly assaulting the victim while she was engaged in official duties.

The alleged assault happened on Nov. 26, 2022, investigators told NJ Advance Media. According to the report, the employee — a city carrier assistant who worked at the Teaneck office — was groped by Ali without her consent.

The woman also accused Ali of pulling her into his office and a bathroom as she resisted, NJ Advance Media reported.

If convicted, Ali faces up to three years in prison for the civil rights count and eight years in prison for the assault count.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.