Man arrested in mail fishing scam from 2019, Nassau police say
A 26-year-old Bronx man has been arrested and charged with a mail fishing scam that occurred more than a year ago, Nassau County police said.
Police said Charles Collins used fishing devices — often wire or string with some sort of sticky substance at the end; in this case, investigators did not disclose the exact method — to latch onto mail in postal boxes, stealing checks from those mailboxes and then altering them.
The incidents took place in April 2019.
Police said once Collins had stolen the checks from the mailbox he altered them and fraudulently cashed them. The total value of the thefts also was not disclosed.
Police also did not disclose the mailbox locations.
Collins was charged with third-degree grand larceny, first-degree identity theft, second-degree criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
He was arraigned Sunday and court records show he was remanded in lieu of $5,000 bond or $2,500 cash bail. He is due back in court on Tuesday.
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.”
Feral cat found with rabies . . . Piano Man's last show . . . Travel to Block Island . . . Olympics opening ceremony
Feral cat found with rabies . . . Piano Man's last show . . . Travel to Block Island . . . Olympics opening ceremony
