Brooklyn Man Indicted for Stealing Checks and Defrauding Banks

Noah Aranzamendi charged in scheme to steal checks from the mail and commit bank fraud, resulting in over $240,000 in losses.

Noah Aranzamendi, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, has been indicted for his role in a scheme to steal and alter checks from the mail to fraudulently obtain funds from banks, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Aranzamendi is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail and was arraigned on May 9, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.

From February 2020 to February 2022, Aranzamendi conspired with others to steal checks from mail in Bergen County and other locations. He sold the stolen checks to third parties or deposited them, sometimes in altered form, into accounts provided by complicit accountholders. Using stolen USPS arrow keys, Aranzamendi accessed mail receptacles to steal checks and used false identifications to withdraw funds fraudulently. The scheme caused losses of at least $240,213.

Bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Possession of stolen mail is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the pecuniary gain or loss.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Teaneck Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark is representing the government.

The charges and allegations are accusations, and Aranzamendi is presumed innocent until proven guilty.