Thief Caught In Mailbox Stakeout Pleads Guilty

A man arrested after investigators on stakeout watched him steal the contents of a mailbox in Mount Vernon has pleaded guilty, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Thursday.

James Rodriguez of the Bronx hit the blue postal mailbox at 440 East Sandford Boulevard at 12:30 a.m. May 3. Law enforcement teams including Westchester County District Attorney Criminal Investigators, US Postal Inspectors, and Mount Vernon Police were watching that box, because it had been robbed before.

Following the theft, Rodriguez was arrested in a nearby parking lot. Rodriguez possessed an official postal “arrow” key, the kind assigned to postal workers who collect mail, and used the key to remove mail from the mailbox. He also possessed pieces of fake identification including a forged Connecticut driver’s license, as well as mail from the mailbox which included loose checks.One was for more than $3,000, making the crime a felony.

Appearing before Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit in Westchester County Court, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, for possession of a forged Connecticut driver’s license, and one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, a class D felony.

He is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 21.

"Mail theft hurts all of us, from the victims of stolen checks to the victims of identity theft," Scarpino said. "It undermines our confidence in sending mail, and it interrupts receiving mail, which can include time-sensitive materials, bills, gift cards or checks which may be an important lifeline for the recipient. We continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local police departments to catch these criminals and disrupt their enterprise."

Mail thieves not only use the ready money­­–cash, gift cards or checks–they may find in the mail, but they often sell personal identifying information which may be found on medical bills, credit card or bank statements to others on the dark web who are experts in identity theft, Scarpino said.