NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in a scheme to bribe mail carriers to steal postal arrow keys used to unlock mail receptacles and to use stolen items from the mail to fraudulently obtain funds from banks, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Amin C. Jones, 29, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count each of bribery of U.S. Postal Service mail carriers and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Jones schemed to bribe mail carriers in East Orange and Newark, New Jersey, by offering them cash, typically $5,000, in exchange for the mail carriers giving Jones a postal arrow key, which could be used to access a variety of postal service mail receptacles. Jones and others sought USPS arrow keys so that they could steal mail. From June to July 2021, Jones and another individual drove to various locations in East Orange and Newark, where they stopped over four different mail carriers, including an undercover postal inspector, who Jones believed was a mail carrier, and handed them a note indicating they would give $5,000 to the mail carrier in exchange for an arrow key.
From January to July 2021, Jones conspired with others to obtain funds fraudulently from banks by stealing mail and using stolen checks and bank cards to draw funds from bank accounts linked to the stolen items and using the identification of others to fraudulently obtain funds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Jones to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $6,361.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.