Suffolk County Police arrested a Bronx man on March 12 for a check washing scam that resulted in the combined loss of more than $20,000 to two Suffolk County residents.
John Dematteo washed and changed payment information on a total of 14 checks that had been stolen while in transit through the United States Postal Service, beginning in August 2025.
An 86-year-old Bay Shore woman had a total of 12 checks washed for a loss of $17,315 while a 73- year-old Patchogue woman had two checks washed for a loss of $3,414…