What to Know
- A former United States Postal Service employee was arrested in connection with incidents of mail theft in Yonkers, police say
- Former USPS employee Lorell Lee Legrand, 30, was arrested Tuesday and is facing charges of grand larceny and identity theft, police say
- For several months, authorities have been investigating multiple incidents of alleged mail theft in the Yonkers and surrounding areas
A former United States Postal Service employee was arrested in connection with incidents of alleged mail theft in Yonkers, law enforcement officials say.
Former USPS employee Lorell Lee Legrand, 30, was arrested Tuesday and is facing multiple charges of grand larceny and identity theft, Yonkers Police announced Friday.
Legrand, a Yonkers resident, was remanded to the Westchester County Jail with bail set at $35,000 on Wednesday. Her next scheduled court date is June 25.
Authorities allege that Legrand, while working with others, deposited forged checks into her bank account, or accounts, and defrauded the account holders of those checks.
Investigators say the targeted checks were mailed from the following locations: a mailbox located at Shonnard Place and Convent Avenue; a mailbox located at Yonkers Avenue and Seminary Avenue; a mailbox located at Page Avenue and Westerly Street; and a post office at 915 Yonkers Avenue.
Legrand was a city carrier assistant who resigned from the Postal Service in May of this year, authorities say. They allege that Legrand was involved with a group of individuals who targeted mail sent through the USPS system.
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Authorities claim that some of these thefts could have taken place at the mailbox level, but the investigation is still ongoing.
For the past several months, authorities have been investigating multiple incidents of alleged mail theft in the Yonkers and surrounding areas.
According to authorities, investigators have conducted undercover surveillance of mailboxes and target locations, reviewed hours of surveillence video and collaborated with bank officials, which have resulted in multiple executed search warrants and subsequent evidence being recovered.
Due to these alleged thefts, postal authorities are fortifying mailboxes in the area, including enhancing mailbox security and locking mechanisms.
The Yonkers Police Department says it has seen a decrease in reported larcenies from mailboxes since the rollout of upgraded security, however secondary effects from earlier incidents are continuing to be reported and investigated.
Authorities say mail theft could lead to compromised bank accounts, loss of funds, fraudulent charges and more.
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. said in a statement that “mail theft throughout Westchester County and, specifically, here in Yonkers has reached epidemic proportions. We know police are working hard to combat the criminals who are affecting the lives of so many of our residents.”
Aside from Legrand’s arrest, the ongoing investigation into these alleged crimes resulted in the apprehension of Shaquille Wiltshire, a 22-year-old Yonkers resident, on May 18.
Wiltshire is alleged to have possessed washed checks from stolen Yonkers mail in an effort to commit identity theft and fraud.
He was charged with felonies and misdemeanors and his case is being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, according to authorities.
It is not immediately clear if Wiltshire or Legrand retained attorneys who could comment on these charges.
