NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington man and a Roselle Park man both admitted to conspiring to steal checks from the mail using stolen or misappropriated arrow keys belonging to the United States Postal Service (“USPS”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today. Leslie Blackwood, 25, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with conspiracy to steal checks from the mail. Verly Antenor, 24, of Roselle Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty on July 16, 2026, before Judge Salas to the same charge.

According to documents filed in the cases and statements made in court:Between September 2021 to March 2022, Blackwood and Antenor agreed with other individuals to steal checks from the mail. They possessed and used stolen or misappropriated arrow keys to access USPS collection boxes in Livingston and Clifton and steal mail containing checks. To profit from the scheme, Blackwood and Antenor sold, deposited, or caused to be deposited the stolen checks to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions. Blackwood and Antenor sometimes “washed” the stolen checks by erasing the date, payee, amount, and memo line from the stolen checks and replacing the information, oftentimes for higher amounts than the amounts originally written on the checks. Overall, Blackwood and Antenor agreed that the scheme caused an actual loss of approximately $670,313.46. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail theft carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for Blackwood is scheduled for February 16, 2027, and sentencing for Antenor is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and special agents with the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, with the investigation. He also thanked the Livingston Police Department and the Clifton Police Department for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark. ###Defense counsel for Blackwood: Claressa Lowe, Esq.

Defense counsel for Antenor: Roberto Espinosa, Esq.

antenor.information.pdf

blackwood.information.pdf