An Essex County man working as a contract custodian at a U.S. Post Office in Maplewood was arrested today for bank fraud and theft of government property, including stealing nearly $15,000 in checks and cash from the Maplewood Post Office and fraudulently depositing the checks, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Federal Officials say Mr. Mark Gregory Jr., 27, of East Orange, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud and two counts of theft of government property. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer.
According to documents filed in this case:
Between March 2019 and July 2019, Gregory stole certain checks placed into the stream of mail by customers at the Maplewood Post Office, and cash paid by customers and held at the Maplewood Post Office, and subsequently deposited those checks, in New Jersey and elsewhere, into bank accounts that he controlled.
The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
The theft of government property charges are punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tazneen Shahabuddin of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.