Brockport Fire Department Chief Don Marenus tells the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald (SN/HCH) there is no change in the status of Fire Department Lieutenant Steven Ray, who was arrested the week of August 18 by federal officials on mail fraud charges.
“We are still investigating Lt. Ray’s status,” Marenus said.
According to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., Ray, 48, a resident of the town of Sweden, is charged by criminal complaint with mail fraud, forgery of endorsement of Treasury checks, theft of public money and theft of stolen mail.
The complaint alleges that a total of 128 U.S. Treasury checks totaling $399,212 were deposited into accounts under Ray’s control. The checks included tax refunds, Supplemental Security Income payments and Department of Education payments.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Ray’s attorney, William Dedes, said he is not commenting on the charges at this point.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on February 1, 2013, a U.S. Postal Service carrier was robbed at gunpoint while delivering mail to an apartment building in Brooklyn, New York.
One of the occupants of the apartment building was expecting two Treasury checks from the Social Security Administration. Subsequently, on February 11, 2013, the same two checks, with the purported endorsement of the intended recipients, were deposited into a Chase bank account opened by Ray. Other checks deposited into Ray’s account during this time included checks that were issued to other occupants of the same apartment building in Brooklyn.
The complaint further alleges that between January and August 2013, additional Treasury checks issued to residents in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida were deposited into bank accounts associated with Ray and endorsed with the name of the intended payees. None of the checks had been issued to Ray.
According to published reports, Ray has appeared in federal court and is free on his own recognizance.
