3 Arrested in Hudson Valley After Stealing Mail, Residents Grateful
A Mahopac man, along with two people from Brooklyn have been caught stealing mail from residents' mailboxes.
Police departments all across the Hudson Valley remind us a few times a year that criminals are still driving around the Hudson Valley stealing mail right out of mailboxes. When they share reminders they often times end the message with "if you see something, say something" hoping that residents will call them if they see something that doesn't feel right.
See Something, Say Something
That message was heard loud and clear and put into action in the Putnam County village of Mahopac last week. According to Carmel Police and Examiner News, one resident contacted police shortly after midnight on Thursday, December 1st to report that they observed a suspicious vehicle in the area of West Lake Boulevard in Mahopac. The resident shared a description of the vehicle and told police that the occupants of the vehicle looked like they were stealing mail out of various mailboxes in the area.
SEE ALSO: If You See a Blue Mailbox in the Hudson Valley, Don't Use It!
Carmel Police Responded
Police responded to the scene, located the suspect vehicle on Route 6N in Mahopac, and conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, police identified the driver along with two passengers and discovered that the driver, 27-year-old Vitaliy Lutso of Brooklyn was driving on a suspended license and registration. Lutso was also in possession of a fraudulent Delaware registration tag. The other two passengers in the car were identified as 29-year-old Tetiana Alive-Yolosovych, also of Brooklyn, and 24-year-old Mykola Popadynets of Mahopac.
Car Search Reveals Stolen Mail
Police conducted a search of the vehicle and located several pieces of stolen mail belonging to Mahopac residents and several stolen credit cards. They also found approximately 80 stolen checks belonging to victims in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Tennessee.
Carmel Police Arrest 3 Mail Thieves
Carmel Police arrested all three suspects on the scene, placed them in custody, and charged them with numerous charges. They were arraigned in Carmel town court and sent to the Putnam County Correctional Facility. The Carmel Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service also said that they will continue to investigate and additional criminal charges could happen.