LI Postal Clerk Charged After Stealing Mail In Oakdale: DA

OAKDALE, NY — A U.S. Postal Service employee was arrested and charged after stealing items from the mail while working at the Oakdale Post Office, Suffolk County prosecutors said.

Jovanni Jamison-Lewis, 35, of Mastic Beach, was arrested and charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny, and official misconduct after allegedly removing gift cards and lottery tickets from mail entrusted to the U.S. Postal Service, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

The reported thefts occurred on Nov. 19, 2025, while Jamison-Lewis was working as a clerk at the Oakdale Post Office, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Jamison-Lewis allegedly removed two sealed envelopes from an outgoing mail bin. Each envelope contained a greeting card with gifts intended for recipients. One envelope held a T.J. Maxx gift card, while the other contained three New York State Lottery scratch-off tickets, DA said.

Investigators said Jamison-Lewis allegedly opened both envelopes, removed the contents, placed the empty greeting cards back inside, and returned the envelopes to the outgoing mail stream.

The envelope containing the T.J. Maxx gift card had been mailed by a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office investigator working in an undercover capacity, prosecutors said.

The following day, surveillance video allegedly captured Jamison-Lewis using the stolen gift card at a T.J. Maxx store in Port Jefferson Station. Items purchased with the card were later recovered at the time of her arrest, according to the DA.

Jamison-Lewis was arrested on Nov. 24 by investigators from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, working alongside agents from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, prosecutors said.

At the time of her arrest, investigators allegedly found two additional stolen pieces of mail hidden in her pants and four more pieces of mail inside her pocketbook, according to the DA’s Office.

Search warrants were later executed at Jamison-Lewis’s residence and vehicle, where investigators allegedly recovered 20 additional stolen pieces of mail, prosecutors said.

Jamison-Lewis had been employed by the U.S. Postal Service since November 2024, but resigned from her position on Dec. 1, following her arrest, the DA said.

Jamison-Lewis was arraigned on Friday, Dec. 12, before Acting County Court Judge Pierce Cohalan. Prosecutors said she is charged with fourth-degree grand Larceny, a Class E felony; fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony, petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor, and official misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor.

Judge Cohalan released Jamison-Lewis without bail because the charges are non-bail-eligible under New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot request bail and judges cannot set it, the DA said.

Jamison-Lewis is due back in court on Jan. 6, 2026. She is represented by Robert Curran, who could not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“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,” Tierney said. “I want to thank the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General for their hard work and cooperation in this case.”

Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Area Field Office, said the case highlights the importance of protecting the integrity of the mail system.

“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) is dedicated to protecting the U.S. Mail and the U.S. Postal Service. The special agents of the USPS OIG will tirelessly investigate those who choose to steal U.S. Mail and defraud the American public,” Modafferi said. “This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between the USPS OIG and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees involved in criminal activity. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great, longstanding relationships we have developed with the District Attorney’s Office to combat mail theft.”

The District Attorney’s Office is asking anyone in the Oakdale postal area who believes they may be a victim of similar theft to contact the Public Corruption Squad at 631-853-4626.