Hudson County Pair Charged With Mail Thefts

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A traffic stop in Hudson County last month led to the arrest of a duo who may have taken mail from at least five New Jersey towns and several in other states, police said.

Gleona Agaj, 22, of Yonkers and Salah Altaweel of the Bronx were arrested in Weehawken on March 23.

Both were charged with mail theft and conspiracy, said Police Chief James White.

Their car contained mail from Weehawken, Union City, Secaucus, North Bergen, and Jersey City in New Jersey, police said. They also found mail from Garrison, Yonkers, Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan in New York, and Carlisle in Pennsylvania. There was also mail from corporations and government entities.

Double Trouble

Police said Officer Joseph Caputi was patrolling that night and saw a double-parked Honda near a mailbox at Shippen Street and Hudson Avenue.

Since January, Weehawken had received reports of mail stolen from 13 mailboxes around town.

Caputi kept an eye on the Honda. He saw a man in dark clothing run from the mailbox and get inside, police said.

Caputi followed the car for a short distance and then pulled it over, police said.

Agaj was driving, and three men were inside, all from the Bronx and Yonkers, police said.

Agaj was determined to have a suspended license, police said.

She refused to allow a search, so police impounded the car to apply for a warrant.

Once they had a warrant, police searched the Honda and found checks and other mail from various towns, police said.

Police also found items associated with "mailbox fishing," in which thieves lower contraptions into mailboxes to try to pull out mail. Then they can try to steal one's identity and funds.

When Agaj and Altaweel — whom police said were a couple — came to get their car back, they were arrested.

Altaweel was searched and caught with a "distribution quantity of suspected Oxycodone Hydrochloride which was not properly packaged or prescribed to him," police said.

Agaj, Altaweel, and two others were charged with conspiracy to commit mail theft, police said.

They were supposed to be paid $500 each by an alleged ringleader, police said.

White told Patch that the ringleader has not yet been arrested.

Agaj was released on a summons and Altaweel, who is currently on federal probation, was taken to the Hudson County Correctional Facility to await a pre-trial detention hearing, police said.

Still Looking

Detectives are still investigating the case, along with the NYPD, the U.S. Postal Police, and detectives from the other towns that were impacted.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Weehawken Police Detective Bureau at 201-863-7800.

Thefts Around North Jersey

In the last year, a number of other arrests have been made that were related to "mail fishing," and several Bergen County towns warned residents not to use outdoor mailboxes.

See related stories below.

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