A College Point man was arrested for stealing more than $80,000 from a local union headquartered in Woodside following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Via Google Maps
April 2, 2025 By Bill Parry
A College Point man is criminally charged with stealing checks worth more than $80,000 from a construction union after the U.S. Postal Inspection Service uncovered his elaborate mail theft operation that involved the Woodside Post Office, where he was arrested late last month.
Xingqiang Chen, 29, of 11th Avenue, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on the night of Tuesday, March 25, on a criminal complaint charging him with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and other related crimes for allegedly falsifying authorization documents and using forged identification to place a mail hold for the Metal Lathers Local 46 Benefits Fund at the Woodside Post Office on March 17.
“Protecting union workers and safeguarding the integrity of their benefits fund is of the utmost importance to my office,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “As alleged, the defendant went to great lengths to steal money from the Metal Lathers Local 46 Benefits Fund intended for our city’s construction workforce.”
According to the charges and investigation, on March 17, Chen entered the Post Office branch at 39-25 61st St. in Woodside and submitted an authorization to hold mail for the Metal Lathers Local Benefits Fund, LLC, along with a forged New Jersey driver’s license in the name of “Chang Liu.” He returned to the location the following on Monday, March 24, at approximately 2 p.m. Chen entered the post office and requested the mail being held for the Fund, which is headquartered seven blocks north at 61-02 32nd Ave. in Woodside.
A postal worker handed him approximately 50 pieces of mail addressed to the fund and then walked out of the post office onto 61st Street. A USPIS agent tracking Chen as part of the agency’s targeted law enforcement surge apprehended Chen at the scene with crucial assistance provided by police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City. The recovered mail contained 21 checks issued to the fund with an aggregate value of approximately $81,583.
“Ensuring public trust in the U.S. Mail is the mission of the Postal Inspection Service. This arrest is one of many examples of the commitment of Postal Inspectors, the NYPD, and the Queens District Attorney to ensure the mail is delivered safely to the public,” USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw said. “In this case, Mr. Chen allegedly stole checks from the mail that were earmarked for the Pensions and Benefits Fund for a local union in Queens. This is a crime that will not go unpunished. Let this be a reminder to criminals: when you mail, you will go to jail.”
Queens Criminal Court Judge Maria Gonzalez ordered Chen to return to court on April 29. If convicted of the top count, Chen faces a potential maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
“Using falsified documentation, he gained access to confidential mail meant for union member benefits and swiped 21 checks that totaled more than $80,000,” Katz said. “My office will not allow fraudsters to steal from union members, or any resident, in Queens. Thanks to our diligent partners at the USPIS and the NYPD, the defendant has been apprehended, and the money intended to help union members will be returned.”
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