NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn man is behind bars after allegedly orchestrating a massive check theft scheme that netted him over $240,000 in ill-gotten gains. Noah Aranzamendi, a 25-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, was arraigned on May 9, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court and was subsequently detained.
Aranzamendi is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and the receipt and possession of stolen mail, punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and five years in prison, respectively. The bank fraud conspiracy count also carries a fine of up to $1 million, while the other charges are punishable by a maximum potential fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.
According to court documents, Aranzamendi and his co-conspirators targeted checks from the mail in Bergen County and elsewhere, often altering or duplicating them before depositing them into bank accounts belonging to complicit accountholders. The scheme, which ran from February 2020 to February 2022, resulted in losses to victims of at least $240,213.
Aranzamendi allegedly used stolen official USPS arrow keys to access mail and steal checks directly from USPS receptacles. He and his co-conspirators then created false identifications in the names of the accountholders, which they used to make fraudulent withdrawals from those accounts.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and 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, for their assistance in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark represented the government in the case. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and Aranzamendi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, and the Teaneck Police Department.
Related Federal Cases
- Derrell Lee Sentenced in TD Bank Identity Theft Scheme · New Jersey
- Brooklyn Man’s $240K Check Caper Exposed, 25-Year Prison Term Looms · New Jersey
- Brooklyn Woman Allegedly Stole $167K in Mail Fraud Scheme · New Jersey
- Brooklyn Church Leader Sentenced to 9 Years for $95M Fraud Scheme · New Jersey
- Alin Carabus Pleads Guilty in $5M ATM Skimming Scheme · New York
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News