A US Postal Service employee was arrested today for allegedly committing a series of credit card and check thefts that affected residents of Montclair and Verona.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig says Parrish Brookins, 29, of East Orange, has been charged with one count of mail theft by a Postal Service officer or employee. Brookins appeared in federal court in Newark this afternoon via video link and was released on $50,000 bond.
According to the district attorney’s office, the alleged thefts began in January 2021 with credit cards mailed to addresses on the Verona and Montclair postal routes, and continued until September, when checks , including stimulus checks that had been issued by the US Treasury Department, were also stolen. The district attorney said in a press release that the thefts took place on or around the same dates that Brookins delivered mail on those routes.
Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan said a VPD officer worked tirelessly to help solve the case. “In a coordinated effort with the U.S. Postal Police, Detective TJ Conroy spent many hours developing leads and following up various information on these crimes, which yielded enough probable cause to lay charges,” Kiernan said. . “I commend him for his tenacity in this investigation and his attempt to end this series of credit card thefts from numerous victims in Verona.”
This may not be the last word on this matter. Kiernan also said there were more than 20 check theft victims in Verona who were still under active investigation.
Comments are closed.