NYC mailman charged with stealing $1 million through scheme that delivered bogus tax refunds

Federal prosecutors say they have charged a New York City mail carrier with stealing over $1 million through a scheme that delivered bogus tax refunds.

Thirty-six-year-old Brooklyn resident Oscar Lopez was arrested Thursday on charges filed in Manhattan federal court.

The government says Lopez was delivering mail in the Bronx from June 2010 to May 2012 when the crimes occurred.

An investigator says Lopez and accomplices used the Social Security numbers of people in Puerto Rico unlikely to file tax returns. Authorities say the refund checks were then mailed to addresses along his delivery route and placed in bank accounts.

Lopez is awaiting a court appearance Thursday. His lawyer could not immediately be reached.

He is charged with conspiracy and theft of government funds.