A 50-year-old New York man who is a member of an organized crime ring stole $12,000 from an Essex County resident by impersonating the victim after stealing their mail, authorities allege.
Xuan Jin is part of a group that stole mail from a Fairfield resident and then posed as the victim to withdraw money from the person’s account, township police said.
The thefts took place on consecutive days in late November of last year, Fairfield police said.
Based in New York City, the crime ring targets members of the Asian community by stealing mail containing banking information, according to Fairfield police.
Jin, 50, of Flushing, New York, is charged with identity theft, forgery and theft. He is being held at the Essex County jail following his arrest by the New York City Police Department and extradition to New Jersey.
Attorney information wasn’t immediately available.
“We strongly urge people to grab their mail once they know it has been delivered to try and protect themselves,” Fairfield police spokeswoman Stacy Chiarolanza said. “While this crime was specific to the Asian community, anyone can be a victim. It is also good practice to drop all outgoing mail directly into a USPS box or directly to the post office.
“Leaving outgoing mail in your mailbox with your flag up is a dead giveaway to criminals that are looking to steal mail.”
Fort Lee Police, the NYPD and the Rockland County (N.Y.) Intelligence Center assisted Fairfield police in the investigation.
Stories by Jeff Goldman
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.