Trio Stole Checks From Mailboxes Throughout Morris County, Officials Say

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Three men have been arrested for stealing checks out of mailboxes across Morris County, according to prosecutors.

Erik C. Mitchell, 34, of Hackettstown; Aljaquan T. Wilson, 31, of Newark; and Blancsun Altidor, 32, also of Newark, all face charges after an investigation revealed that they were stealing and cashing other people's checks.

An investigation was launched in August when the Mount Olive Police Department received reports of checks being stolen from residential mailboxes and fraudulently cashed.

According to police, checks were stolen from mailboxes in Mount Olive, Roxbury, and Randolph throughout the month of August.

Investigators discovered that these stolen checks were fraudulently cashed on Aug. 10, 11, and 17. Authorities were able to determine a suspect vehicle and at least one person who was involved in the thefts, police said.

On Aug. 18, the suspect vehicle was spotted at a bank in Flanders, and Mitchell was spotted trying to cash more stolen checks, according to authorities.

Police found Wilson and Altidor in the car, and all three were arrested, officials said. Altidor had a fake ID when he was arrested, and Wilson had a stolen credit card, authorities added.

The trio was charged with the following:

- Erik Mitchell: Eight counts of third-degree forgery; one count of third-degree theft by unlawful taking of movable property; two counts of third-degree receiving stolen property; one count of fourth-degree theft by unlawful taking of movable property; two counts of third-degree conspiracy to commit theft; and one count of receiving stolen property, a disorderly persons charge.

- Aljaquan T. Wilson: Three counts of third-degree theft by unlawful taking of movable property; two counts of third-degree forgery; two counts of third-degree receiving stolen property; two counts of fourth-degree credit card theft; two counts of third-degree conspiracy to commit theft; and one count of receiving stolen property, a disorderly persons charge.

- Blancsun Altidor: Five counts of third-degree forgery; two counts of third-degree receiving stolen property; two counts of third-degree theft of movable property; one count of third-degree conspiracy to commit theft; one count of fourth-degree theft of movable property; one count of fourth-degree possession of a false driver's license; and one count of receiving stolen property, a disorderly persons charge.

The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, the Mount Olive Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-691-0850, the Randolph Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-989-7015, or the Roxbury Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-448-2100.