3 Men Went On Mail Stealing Spree Across North Jersey, Prosecutors Allege

Three men have been accused of stealing mail and packages from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes and vehicles across North Jersey, authorities announced Thursday evening.

Federal prosecutors said three people have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud: Jeffrey Bennett, 31, of Irvington and Rahway, Aquil Hubbard, 31, of Middlesex and Newark, and Tashon Ragan, 26, of Union.

The thefts took place between December 2024 and December 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Several local police departments contributed to the investigation, including Bernards, Belleville, Chatham, Clifton, East Hanover, Maplewood, Middlesex, Metuchen, Nutley, Parsippany, Rahway, Roseland and Union. Inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service and agents from the United States Secret Service and Newark Field Office also participated in the investigation.

Prosecutors alleged that Bennett, Hubbard and Ragan have been connected to a series of “smash-and-grab burglaries” of postal vehicles across northern New Jersey.

Authorities said that the perpetrators smashed in the windows of the vehicles, or opened doors that were left unlocked – often in broad daylight while postal workers were out delivering mail.

The three suspects have also been accused of stealing mail from collection boxes, prosecutors said.

Bennett, Hubbard and Ragan allegedly sought checks, financial instruments and other items of value from the mail. They altered checks and attempted to deposit them at various financial institutions in New Jersey, then used social media to recruit account holders at several financial institutions as part of the scheme, prosecutors said.

The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to a person other than the defendant, whichever is greater, prosecutors said.

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