Prosecutors say a trio from the Bronx and Queens turned Suffolk County's blue mailboxes into their personal cash machines, hauling in thousands of checks worth about $4.8 million with a low-tech "fishing" setup.
Authorities allege the crew drove out to Long Island, worked U.S. Postal Service collection boxes across Suffolk, then headed home with a pile of stolen mail. After police executed a search warrant, investigators say they found large quantities of checks, cash and a loaded 9 mm handgun. All three suspects have been arraigned and are out on supervised release with GPS monitoring while the case moves through the courts.
According to News12 Bronx, prosecutors identified the defendants as 32-year-old Nicholas Delvillar and 27-year-old Franklin Mercedes, both of the Bronx, and 24-year-old Jhosua Peralta of Queens. Investigators say the three came out to Suffolk County on June 3 and "fished" more than 6,750 checks, collectively worth about $4.8 million. Delvillar and Peralta were arraigned on June 5, and Mercedes followed on June 10, the outlet reports.
How the Mailbox 'Fishing' Trick Works
Investigators say the suspects relied on a homemade rig that sounds more arts-and-crafts than high-tech crime: a sticky glue trap attached to the end of a belt, lowered into USPS collection boxes to snag envelopes and pull them back out.
That method mirrors other recent mailbox heists in the region, where thieves reportedly coat a line or bottle with adhesive to yank mail through the narrow slot openings. The United States Postal Inspection Service urges anyone who suspects their mail was intercepted to file a report online or call its hotline at 1-877-876-2455 for help.
What Police Say They Recovered
After tracking the alleged scheme, police executed a search warrant and, according to prosecutors, recovered thousands of stolen checks, cash and a loaded 9 mm handgun from the suspects' possession. Authorities also accuse the trio of specifically targeting collection boxes in Suffolk County during their June 3 trip from the Bronx, as reported by News12 Bronx.
Similar alleged multimillion-dollar check-theft conspiracies have been charged in federal court in New York, where prosecutors say stolen checks can be altered and funneled through third-party bank accounts. A separate case outlined in a Southern District of New York press release describes how checks are washed, rewritten and deposited as part of a broader bank fraud operation, according to the Justice Department.
Court Status and What Comes Next
The three defendants are facing felony grand larceny charges. Because the counts are not bail-eligible, they were released under supervised conditions that include GPS monitoring while prosecutors continue building the case. They remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Investigators are urging anyone who thinks their mail may have been stolen to contact local police and the Postal Inspection Service, and to closely review canceled checks and bank statements for anything unusual. Law enforcement and postal officials also recommend skipping outdoor blue collection boxes for check payments when possible and opting for in-person post office drop slots or electronic payments to lower the chances of becoming the next victim in a mailbox "fishing" scheme.
