HOWELL — Helen Darden, 43, of Long Branch, was arrested on May 17 in connection with numerous thefts from mailboxes that have occurred in Howell, Brick Township, Toms River, Ocean Township, Neptune, Wall Township and Lakewood.
Darden was arrested by Wall Township Police and charged with theft by deception, two counts of forgery and two counts of uttering a forged document, Wall police Lt. Walter Pomphrey said in a press release.
Darden is being held at the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, in lieu of $26,000 bail, he said.
Darden’s arrest stems from a cooperative investigation with Howell Detective Nancy Carroll.
Authorities have been investigating a number of thefts from mailboxes that were reported in April and May. In those cases, outgoing checks that had been placed in a mailbox for pickup by a letter carrier were stolen, altered and cashed at local banks.
Wall police are investigating six postal thefts, and two of those thefts are considered cleared by the arrest of Darden, Pomphrey said.
Criminal complainants signed by Wall Detective Sean O’Halloran charge Darden with altering checks on a separate occasion by increasing the amount from $50 to $1,500 on one check and leaving the original amount on the second check at $350, the lieutenant said.
According to Howell Detective Sgt. Eileen Dodd, following Darden’s arrest there have been reports of thefts in Howell, and she said other individuals may be attempting to cash checks that have been taken out of residents’ mailboxes.
In one incident, a woman saw a white female who was operating a red car steal mail from her mailbox.
Pomphrey said police are continuing the investigation, and additional arrests are expected.
According to police, mail, specifically checks, are being stolen directly out of residents’ mailboxes when residents place outgoing mail in their mailbox. Residents are being encouraged not to place outgoing mail in their mailboxes for pickup, and they are being asked to check their monthly bank statements for any discrepancies.
Anyone with information regarding these thefts may contact Howell Detective Nancy Carroll at 732-938-4575, ext. 2884.
— Christina Haberstroh