New Yorker stole federal quarantine relief checks from mailboxes

A New Yorker robbed the needy who were counting on these funds. For such a crime he faces up to five years in prison. This publication writes Fox News.

On April 28, a New Yorker was arrested for stealing from the mailboxes of federal assistance checks for victims of quarantine. In total, he stole checks for more than $ 12, federal prosecutors said.

Feng Chen, 31, was caught catching mail at a closed medical office. Noticing the police, the man threw the envelope onto the sidewalk.

After being detained, officers at the New York Police Department noticed that Chen was hiding something under his jacket. They found in him nine federal aid checks totaling more than $ 12, credit cards, and several envelopes that had already been opened and empty.

“The COVID-19 crisis has created tremendous pressure on communities across the country,” said Philip R. Bartlett, Chief Inspector of the US Postal Inspection. "When Mr. Chen stole these checks, he robbed the recipients of these much needed funds."

The police also learned that a case was opened against Chen in New York County in a separate criminal case involving identity theft.

On the subject: Coronavirus financial assistance: money comes to the wrong accounts and to the dead

Chen was charged with mail theft. If proved guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.

The coronavirus is causing economic damage to people and families around the world. Some due to job loss, others due to a growing stack of medical bills or due to other circumstances - many people face financial difficulties.

Some states are trying to help their citizens maintain financial stability during the outbreak of an insidious disease. More than 10 options for how to get financial assistance in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic are described. in this stuff.