Mailman Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny Arrested for Dumping 1,875 Pieces of Orange and West Orange Mail, Including Election Ballots

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 11:32am

IMAGE: Howard Dinger

This morning the US Attorney Craig Carpenito announced that ​Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, was arrested today for discarding mail which was meant to be delivered to residents of Orange and West Orange.

The mail was scheduled for delivery from Sept. 28 to Oct 2 and was recovered from North Arlington and West Orange dumpsters. On those dates, Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver mail to the addresses on the recovered mail; the North Arlington dumpster is located approximately 1 mile from Beauchene's residence. 

Howard Dinger originally discovered the mail behind a North Arlignton town bank, and notified police. While copies of the mail were all retained as evidence, the original pieces have been sent to their intended recipients. 

CHARGES

• One count of delay, secretion, or detention of mail
• One count of obstruction of mail

1,875 PIECES OF MAIL

• First Class Mail:
  627 pieces
• Standard Class Mail:
  873 pieces
• Certified Mail:
  2 pieces
• General Election Ballots:
  99 pieces
• Campaign Flyers:
  ​276 pieces

The Ballots were addressed to West Orange residents and the campaign flyers were sent from candidates for West Orange Town Council and their Board of Education.  

​Howard Dinger originally discovered the mail behind a town bank, and notified police. 

Howard Dinger
Facebook post

“Just found two to 300 lb of mail dumped in a dumpster behind one of the banks I service. Including at least 200 ballots. This is the kind of stuff you just can’t make up. And yes it was reported to the local police and the postal police. "

After posting his discovery on Facebook, Dinger was met with criticism that it was Fake News. 

Howard Dinger
Facebook post

“I found the mail personally and I can vouch for its authenticity. The local police were called and so were the postal police. And all the people that are pissed off about me posting this are probably postal employees that have done the same (---) thing . That’s the only reason I can see for being pissed off about my post. So for all those who have a problem with what I posted go jump in a lake.”

IMAGE: Howard Dinger

INVESTIGATION
Carpenito credited: 

• ​USPS-Office of Inspector General Special Agents, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office Matthew Modafferi
• North Arlington Police Department

DELAY OF MAIL PENALTIES

• Maximum five years in prison
• Maximum $250,000 fine
  
  

OBSTRUCTION OF MAIL PENALTIES

• Maximum six months in prison
• Maximum $5,000 fine

​
HEARING
Beauchene is scheduled to appear remotely this afternoon before Newark Federal Judge Cathy L. Waldor. ​