Brooklyn man arrested for stealing stimulus checks, credit cards from mail

BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn man has been arrested over accusations he’s been stealing mail, including credit cards and stimulus checks from the US Trasury Department, according to US Attorney Richard P. Donoghue’s office.

Feng Chen was arrested in Brooklyn Tuesday and appeared via videoconference before a judge Wednesday afternoon. In the early morning hours Tuesday, NYPD officers saw Chen looking inside the medical collection bin at a closed medical office and then walking to a nearby residence and examining mail left at the door. He then walked into the gated area of a second residence and left carrying what appeared to be mail.

When he saw the police, Chen tossed the mail on the sidewalk. When officers got out of their vehicle, they observed a bulge in Chen’s jacket pocket. Upon a search, officers found checks, stimulus payments totaling up to $12,000, credit cards, opened envelops and letters.

“For many families, these stimulus checks are a lifeline in these difficult times and anyone who tries to cut that lifeline will face the full weight of the law,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will vigorously prosecute all those who seek to take advantage of the public health crisis.

“The NYPD recognizes how the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for a variety of malicious, criminal scams. In this case, I applaud our alert detectives and federal partners for interrupting an alleged scheme to victimize New Yorkers by stealing important mail and stimulus money meant to aid them during this unprecedented crises,” stated NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.

If convicted, Chen faces a maximum of five years in prison.

via: https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/brooklyn/brooklyn-man-arrested-for-stealing-stimulus-checks-from-mail-officials

Photo Credit: pix11.com