Press Release

QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TWICE THIS MONTH FOR TWO SEPARATE CRIMES; DEFENDANT ORDERED TO PRISON FOR STEALING MAIL AND IDENTITY THEFT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Asm Sharfuddin, 22, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison on burglary charges for stealing mail from residential boxes last September in Astoria, Queens. The defendant has also been sentenced in a separate case to up to three years in prison for assuming the identity of another man and withdrawing money from the victim’s bank account in April and May of last year.

District Attorney Katz said, “Stolen mail in far too many instances leads to identity theft. Everyone must be vigilant in protecting their identity – shred your unwanted mail, check your credit reports and call the police if you suspect fraud or my Office at 718 286-5942. This defendant stole mail and schemed to line his own pockets by using someone else’s identity, but he didn’t get away with it. He pleaded guilty in Court and has now been sentenced.”

Sharfuddin, of 73rd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens, on March 9, 2021, pleaded guilty to burglary in the second degree before Queens Acting Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone Jr. On April 1, 2021, Queens Supreme Court Justice John Latella sentenced the defendant to 3 ½ years in prison, to be followed by 2 ½ years post release supervision.

District Attorney Katz said, that in pleading guilty, the defendant admitted that on September 5, 2020, at approximately 4 p.m., he was unlawfully inside an apartment building on 41stStreet in Astoria, Queens with the intent to commit a crime. After observing the mail carrier deposit mail in the mailboxes and then leave, the defendant attempted to pull apart a panel of mailboxes with his bare hands. He then took out a tool that resembled a small crowbar and pried open several mailboxes. He removed the contents of the boxes and exited the building.

Continuing, said DA Katz, the defendant also pleaded guilty to identity theft in the second degree before Queens Criminal Court Judge Karen Gopee on March 18, 2021. Judge Gopee today sentenced the defendant to 1 to 3 years in prison, which will run concurrently with the term of incarceration on the burglary charge.

According to the charges, the defendant in this second case, between April 20th and May 30th of 2020, assumed the identity of a man and used his banking information, which was illegally obtained, to make three separate withdrawals. The sum of money taken totaled $11,000. The victim, who was out of the country at the time, was unaware of these transactions until his return.

Assistant District Attorney Allison Wright, Supervisor of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mary Lowenburg, Bureau Chief, Catherine Kane and Johnathan Scharf, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard A. Brave.

**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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