Postal Employee Stole Checks Taken From Mail Stream: Suffolk DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A mail handler was arrested after he was accused of stealing checks from the mail stream and then remotely depositing them into his bank account during his work shifts at a Melville branch of the U.S. Postal Service, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Friday.

Dendrick Emery, 42, of Brooklyn, deposited more than $6K and was accused of grand larceny and other charges, the DA said.

"The reliability of the mail service is an important part of our quality of life, and I am dedicated to doing my part to protect it," Tierney said in a news release. "I want to thank the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General for its hard work and cooperation in this case."

An investigation was launched by USPS Office of the Inspector General in September 2023, the DA said. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations joined the investigation shortly after.

Between Feb. 3, 2023 and May 4, 2023, Emery, while employed by the Postal Service as a mail handler, stole four separate checks from the mail stream totaling $6,486.12 and remotely deposited them into his personal bank account, prosecutors said.

Emery was arrested Wednesday, the DA said.

He was arraigned Thursday on charges of third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, and official misconduct. He was released without bail because his charge is not a bail-eligible offense under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail, the DA said.

Emery is due back in court on June 20, and he is being represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society.

"The Special Agents of the uSPS OIG will vigorously investigate Postal Service employees who comprise [sic] their integrity for personal gain," said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Northeast Area Field Office. "This work does not represent the work of the many trustworthy U.S. Postal Service employees who continue to do their job every day. The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office for their dedication and efforts in this investigation."