Huntington Station mail center clerk Michael Rodriguez accused of stealing checks, money orders from facility

A postal clerk has been arrested after allegedly being caught on surveillance camera shoving mail down his pants at the Huntington Station Processing and Distribution Center.

He is accused of being part of a ring of criminals who have been illegally cashing checks and using stolen money orders from the facility.

The clerk, Michael Rodriguez, of Cambria Heights, Queens, embezzled letters, packages, mail and other items, according to an eight-page criminal complaint that includes frame-by-frame screenshots of Rodriguez taking mail from the stream, putting it into his pants and leaving the facility.

Rodriguez, 36, who the complaint said began working at the facility in August, was arraigned Thursday at the Central Islip courthouse before Magistrate Judge Lee Dunst and released on his own recognizance, according to John Marzulli, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case.

He is charged with theft of mail by an officer or employee.

Lauren Paese, a special agent with the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General, wrote in the complaint that she saw Rodriguez on the footage sneaking out first-class mail and priority mail envelopes on Feb. 23, letters on Feb. 29 and March 14 and March 15.

Xavier Hernandez, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, declined to comment. Rodriguez's attorney, Tracey Gaffey, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.