By: Richard L. Smith
Two New Jersey men have admitted participating in a scheme that used stolen or misappropriated U.S. Postal Service arrow keys to steal checks from collection boxes, federal officials announced.
According to information released by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer, Leslie Blackwood, 25, of Irvington, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to conspiracy to steal checks from the mail.
Verly Antenor, 24, of Roselle Park, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge in July.
Federal prosecutors said that between September 2021 and March 2022, Blackwood, Antenor and others used USPS arrow keys to access collection boxes in Livingston and Clifton and remove mail containing checks.
Authorities said some stolen checks were “washed,” with information including the payee and amount erased and replaced, often with significantly higher dollar amounts.
The checks were then sold or deposited in an effort to obtain money from financial institutions.
Federal officials said the scheme resulted in approximately $670,313 in actual losses.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Antenor is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, while Blackwood’s sentencing is set for February 16, 2027.