Nassau DA: 2 charged in Christmas mailbox fishing scheme

A couple from the Bronx is charged with an alleged mailbox fishing scheme in Atlantic Beach, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said Tuesday.

The husband and wife — identified as Yoli Gomez Osoria, 27, and Andrea Rose Gomez, 28 — are accused of using a plastic bottle "filled with an unknown liquid and coated with a sticky substance on the outside, with a white string attached," to swipe outgoing mail, according to the DA's office.

Officials said that a Nassau County police officer, on routine patrol, spotted Osoria standing in front of mailboxes outside the Atlantic Beach Post Office on Dec. 25, with both hands inside one of the mailboxes.

When Osoria saw the officer, Singas said, he fled, throwing the plastic bottle over a fence. That bottle had a string attached to "fish" for those packages, which were recovered.

Osoria and Gomez were arraigned Jan. 23  on an indictment charging them each with 36 felony counts that included criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of stolen property, and other charges.

Osoria was arrested after a chase, Singas said, leading to the arrest of his wife, who was waiting in a nearby car.

Police searched the vehicles and found seven sealed envelopes that investigators believe were "fished" from mailboxes, including one containing a $2,800 check, and a glue mouse trap, believed to be the substance found on the bottle, Singas said.

Court records show both Osoria and Gomez were released following arraignment. Records indicate Gomez is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which has a policy of not commenting in the early stage of a case. Osoria's attorney, Leonard B. Isaacs of Valley Stream, said: "At this point, my office is investigating the allegations, including reviewing the evidence which is voluminous."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”