West Orange Election Mail Found In North Arlington Dumpster: Feds

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carrier has been accused of discarding more than 1,800 pieces of mail, including election ballots and campaign flyers, which were supposed to be delivered to residents in West Orange and Orange.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 1,875 pieces of mail were found in dumpsters in North Arlington and West Orange on Friday and Monday.

The discarded mail included 627 pieces of first class, 873 pieces of standard class, two pieces of certified mail, 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Orange Town Council and Board of Education.

Prosecutors said the ballots were sent from the Essex County Clerk’s Office to registered voters.

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The mail was scheduled to be delivered to routes in West Orange and Orange on Sept. 28, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2, prosecutors said.

The recovered mail was placed back into the mail stream for delivery to the intended recipients. Copies of the recovered mail were made and retained as evidence, prosecutors said.

A USPS spokesperson told Patch that the mail recovered in North Arlington was reported, collected and delivered.

“This matter was then turned over to U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General,” the spokesperson said, declining further comment.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors announced that Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, has been charged with one count of delay, secretion, or detention of mail and one count of obstruction of mail.

On the delivery dates for which mail was recovered, Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver mail to the addresses on the recovered mail, prosecutors said.

The delay of mail charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The obstruction of mail charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine, prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito thanked the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General and the North Arlington Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

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