Suffolk County NY – A Suffolk County postal employee has been arrested and charged following an investigation that alleges repeated theft from the mail while on duty at the Oakdale Post Office, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
Jovanni Jamison-Lewis, 35, of Mastic Beach, was arrested on November 24, 2025, and later arraigned on multiple charges, including Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Official Misconduct, stemming from allegations that she stole gift cards, lottery tickets, and other mail items entrusted to the U.S. Postal Service.
Prosecutors allege that on November 19, 2025, Jamison-Lewis, while working as a postal clerk in Oakdale, removed two sealed envelopes from an outgoing mail bin. Each envelope contained a greeting card with enclosed gifts intended for recipients. Investigators say she opened the envelopes, removed their contents, and returned the empty cards to the mail stream.
One of the envelopes, authorities said, had been placed in the mail by a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office investigator operating in an undercover capacity. That envelope contained a T.J. Maxx gift card. The second envelope reportedly contained three New York State Lottery scratch-off tickets.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, surveillance footage from the following day allegedly shows Jamison-Lewis using the stolen gift card at a T.J. Maxx store in Port Jefferson Station. Items purchased with the card were later recovered by investigators at the time of her arrest.
When Jamison-Lewis was taken into custody, investigators allege they discovered two additional pieces of stolen mail concealed in her clothing, along with four more pieces inside her pocketbook. Search warrants executed at her residence and vehicle allegedly resulted in the recovery of approximately 20 additional stolen mail items.
Jamison-Lewis had been employed by the U.S. Postal Service since November 2024. Records indicate she resigned from her position on December 1, 2025, following her arrest.
“This case underscores the seriousness with which our office treats allegations involving the abuse of public trust,” District Attorney Tierney said in a statement, emphasizing the reliance Suffolk County residents place on the integrity of the mail system.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad and agents from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the USPS-OIG Northeast Area Field Office, praised the interagency cooperation, stating that the case reflects an ongoing commitment to protecting the mail and holding offenders accountable.
On December 12, 2025, Jamison-Lewis was arraigned before Acting County Court Judge Pierce Cohalan on the following charges:
- Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (Class E felony)
- Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree (Class E felony)
- Petit Larceny (Class A misdemeanor)
- Official Misconduct (Class A misdemeanor)
Judge Cohalan released Jamison-Lewis without bail, citing New York State’s bail reform laws, which classify the charged offenses as non-bail eligible. She is scheduled to return to court on January 6, 2026. Jamison-Lewis is represented by attorney Robert Curran, Esq.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katharine R. D’Aquila of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is urging residents in the Oakdale postal area who believe they may have been affected by similar mail theft to contact the Public Corruption Squad at (631) 853-4626.
As with all criminal proceedings, the charges against Jamison-Lewis are allegations. A criminal complaint is an accusatory instrument, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
