Hudson Valley Mailman Charged With Stealing $78,000 in Checks
A Hudson Valley mail carrier is being charged with grand larceny after allegedly stealing checks from envelopes.
Being a postal worker comes with some pretty big responsibilities. In fact, the job requires everyone to take an official oath. The oath promises to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, protect the U.S. against all foreign and domestic enemies, be faithful and allegiant to the U.S. and faithfully discharge the "duties of the office" of their job.
It's the last part of this oath that Hudson Valley mail carrier, Albert Pino, is being accused of violating.
Albert Pitno was indicted on Wednesday for allegedly stealing more than $78,000 in checks while delivering the mail. The 31-year-old United States Postal Service employee is being accused of taking treasury checks addressed to residents on his route.
Trusting your mail carrier to deliver your mail without going through it is something people just take for granted. It's unthinkable that someone would go through your mail, let alone think that they could actually get away with it.
But that's what authorities say Pino did.
Criminal investigators arrested the mail carrier on Wednesday after an investigation into the missing checks was concluded by the District Attorney and the U.S. Postal Service. Pinto was indicted by a grand jury in Westchester for Larceny in the Second Degree. The felony was followed up by two counts of Petit Larceny, which is a misdemeanor.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah says the checks Pinto allegedly stole from residents on the Mount Vernon route were valued at $77,365, $600, and $509.