TRENTON, NJ – An Essex County, New Jersey woman admitted to unlawfully possessing stolen mail in Hunterdon and Monmouth Counties, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.
Michele Dearaujo, 37, of Newark, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to two counts of unlawfully possessing stolen mail, Honig said.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on Oct. 14, 2020, a mailbox in Hunterdon County was tampered with in the early morning; the victim had been expecting replacement credit cards to be delivered by mail. The victim later learned the victim’s credit card had been fraudulently used to purchase merchandise worth hundreds of dollars. The merchandise was to be shipped to Dearaujo at her address.
The investigation revealed that Dearaujo had stolen mail from several residences in New Jersey. Dearaujo admitted that on Nov. 20, 2020, in Hunterdon County, and on January 25 2019, in Monmouth County, she unlawfully possessed mail which had been stolen, knowing that it had been stolen.
The counts of unlawful possession of stolen mail each carry a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 14, 2021.
