A postal worker has been arrested on charges of grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly pilfering checks from the mail and depositing them into his own bank account.
Dendrick Emery, 42, of Brooklyn, is accused of stealing more than $6,000 while working as a mail handler at a Suffolk County branch of the U.S. Postal Service.
An investigation launched by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) in September 2023, later joined by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), revealed that between February 3 and May 4, 2023, Emery allegedly took four checks totaling $6,486.12 from the mail and remotely deposited them into his personal bank account.
Emery was apprehended on June 5, 2024, by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Public Corruption Squad, with assistance from USPS OIG and HSI New York. He was arraigned on June 6, 2024, on charges including Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, and Official Misconduct.
Due to current New York State law, these charges are not bail-eligible offenses, resulting in Emery’s release without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 20, 2024.
Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi emphasized that this incident does not reflect the integrity of the majority of Postal Service employees, while Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of HSI underscored the commitment to protecting the community from such criminal behavior.
“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,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
As a reminder, a criminal charge is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Photo by Ekaterina Belinskaya