'Devices Made From Rat Traps': Rash Of Stolen Mail In North Jersey Continues

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Months after police in Glen Rock and Fort Lee reported thefts from outdoor mailboxes, a third Bergen County town has been hit — even after two suspects were arrested there last month.

Two men from the Bronx were caught stealing mail in front of the Maywood Post Office late last month, the Maywood Police Department said this week.

But there have been at least two thefts from the same mailbox since then, including on Tuesday morning, police said later that day.

The police posted a warning to the public after Tuesday's theft, advising residents to place their mail inside the local post office.

In September, the Fort Lee police had given their residents a similar warning, saying the front panels had been removed from five public mailboxes, and mail taken. READ MORE: Thieves Take Mail From 5 Mailboxes In 1 Town

And from February through August, people who mailed checks from a box in front of the Glen Rock Post Office have reported that their checks were intercepted, defaced, and cashed by someone other than the intended recipient. The first reports were made public in February, with the most recent on Aug. 3.

'Devices Made From Rat Traps'

In Maywood, police said this week that back on Oct. 27, around 2:30 a.m., two men were seen trying to steal mail from a mailbox in front of the town's post office.

Enyer Portes-Herrera, 22, and Justin Gonzalez-Morel, 18, of the Bronx were caught.

Portes-Herrera was charged with identity theft, theft of movable property, trafficking personal information of another, and possession of burglary tools, police said. Gonzalez-Morel was also charged with conspiracy to commit identity theft and money laundering.

The pair were processed and released to await a court date, police said.

Then, last Friday, someone with a key returned to the same mailbox.

"This time the suspects were in possession of a mailbox key, allowing them to remove its contents in a matter of 10 seconds," police said.

And this past Tuesday, around 4:30 a.m., suspects arrived in a vehicle with a stolen license plate and used a key to open the mailbox and steal mail again, police said.

"The suspects target mailboxes late at night into the early morning hours," police said Tuesday, "and have used devices made from rat traps and string to remove the mail. More recently, the suspects have been able to obtain stolen mailbox keys."

Police said the suspects will alter or "wash" checks, changing the names and dollar amounts, then deposit them into an account "where the funds are funneled through multiple online transfers." The victims eventually notice the money gone from their bank account.

Wider Problem

On Thursday, when asked if the thefts could be linked with others around the county, Chief Terence Kenny told Patch, "An unknown amount of mailboxes in the county are affected. Some towns may not even be aware this is happening."

He added, "There are still going to be other thefts until the locks are changed on all the [boxes]."

Kenny said that the United States Postal Police are leading the investigation, with local police helping out as needed.

• RELATED: $26K In Checks Stolen From Mailbox In Front Of Glen Rock Post Office
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