In a recent incident shaking the trust in the postal system, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the arrest of a U.S. Postal Worker for allegedly pocketing items from the mail. The worker, identified as 35-year-old Jovanni Jamison-Lewis of Mastic Beach, faced arraignment for charges of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree among others, according to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
DA Tierney expressed his commitment to upholding the integrity of the mail service, stating, "Suffolk County residents depend upon the reliability of the mail service every day, and my office is committed to investigating and prosecuting any public officials who tamper with it for their own personal gain." Arrested with cooperation from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Jamison-Lewis is accused of lifting gifts and cards from outgoing mail during her tenure as a clerk at the Oakdale Post Office, as per the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
On November 19, Jamison-Lewis allegedly ripped open two sealed envelopes, which has been trusted to the United States Postal Service, containing greeting cards and gifts. The contents, which included a T.J. Maxx gift card and New York State Lottery scratch-off tickets, were supposedly removed by the defendant. Remarkably, one of the envelopes was planted by an undercover investigator from the District Attorney's Office, a detail included in their official release.
The next day, in a twist of events that seemed to come straight from a movie scene, Jamison-Lewis was caught on video surveillance purportedly using the stolen T.J. Maxx gift card at a store location. After her arrest on November 24, investigators found stolen mail concealed cleverly in her pants and more in her pocketbook, and subsequently, additional pieces of mail during a search of her home and vehicle.
Formerly employed by the USPS since November 2024, Jamison-Lewis resigned shortly after her arrest. Her charges, including Grand Larceny and Official Misconduct, saw Acting County Court Judge Pierce Cohalan release her without bail due to her charges being non-bail eligible under New York State law, as revealed by the Suffolk DA's office. She is due back in court on January 6, with defense by Robert Curran, Esq.
The investigation is undergoing at the hands of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Public Corruption Squad and the USPS Office of Inspector General. Any Oakdale Postal area residents who suspect similar thefts are encouraged by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to reach out to the Public Corruption Squad at (631) 853-4626.
