NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Six people, including four New Yorkers and two Bostonians, are facing criminal charges after they were caught “fishing” mail out of mailboxes in Newton early Tuesday morning, officials said.
Ashley Celin Mora, Daury Jesus Moreta, Freddy Alberto Polanco Jr., Bryan Manuele Monte, Yeferson Espinola Ovalle, and Jonser Hernandez were arrested on charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, breaking and entering into a depository, possession of a burglarious instrument, and larceny under $1,200, according to the Newton Police Department.
“There seems to be an uptick in these types of fishing crimes,” Newton Police Lt. Bruce Apotheker told reporters. “If you talk to the postal police, they’ll tell you that it’s been going on for many years but recently there has been an uptick.”
The suspects soaked a bottle in a sticky substance, attached it to a string, and lowered it into mailboxes outside the Newtonville Post Office on Washington Street in an effort to find checks, cash, and other personal information that could be used to steal someone’s identity, police wrote in an arrest report.
An officer who caught the suspects in the act searched their Honda Odyssey around 2 a.m. and found four sticky rodent traps, one of which had about half of its sticky substance scrapped off, police said.
The envelopes that officers found attached to the bottle were reportedly had the same sticky substance on them.
Investigators believe the suspects may be connected to a larger ring and that they could be responsible for mail thefts in other area communities.
“We just want to remind people that these things do occur and you have to take precautions, just like you take precautions on the internet to avoid your identity being stolen,” Apotheker said.
All six suspects are slated to be arraigned Wednesday in Newton District Court.
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