Gennady Galker, 40, of Midwood, pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the third degree after being indicted for stealing checks out of Brooklyn mailboxes.
“This defendant stole checks from unsuspecting Brooklynites as well as local charities,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “Today’s plea holds him accountable for his crimes and sends a strong message that thefts like these will not be tolerated.”
Gonzalez announced the plea, along with New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and representatives from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), on Aug. 10.
According to court records, the defendant stole the checks, which had been mailed to addresses around Midwood, deposited them using a stolen identity and withdrew the cash and used it for personal expenses.
The majority of the stole checks were from the Jewish Communal Fund for local charities and the New York State Comptroller Office of Unclaimed Funds.
Galker was indited for stealing a total of $31,149.
“Mr. Galker preyed upon the people in his community, his neighbors, to enrich himself with their money. Postal Inspector’s mission is to protect the mail and members of the public, our customers, from becoming victims of fraud. We have carried out this mission for almost 250 years, and along with our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue mail thieves well into the future,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge of the New York Division, Daniel Brubaker.
On Aug. 10, Galker entered a conditional plea before Justice Danny Chun in Kings County Supreme Court, Criminal Term.
Through the conditional plea, Galker has been ordered to perform 140 hours of community service and pay $16,891 in restitution, which was the amount banks were not able to recover.
If he meets the terms of the conditional plea, his conviction will be reduced to petit larceny and he will receive a conditional discharge sentence.
However, if Galker fails to comply with the conditional sentence, his conviction will stand and he will be sentenced to serve one year in jail. He is due back in court on Nov. 1.
