Lawsuit filed by 3 men who claim they were wrongfully arrested in Yonkers set to go to trial next month
The case is set to go to trial on Sept. 1
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A lawsuit filed by three men who say they were wrongfully arrested in Yonkers is set to go to trial in a few weeks.
Max Amparo, Edgardo Rodriguez and Luis Curz-Valerio were arrested in connection with a series of mailbox thefts in Yonkers in 2018.
More mail thefts were reported after their arrests. A couple of weeks later, a former USPS employee was arrested in connection with ongoing mail thefts in the area.
The charges against Amparo, Rodriguez and Curz-Valerio were dismissed, according to their attorney.
However, the men say that the years it took for that to happen impacted their lives dramatically.
"I don't like to go out. I can't get a job. It's like so difficult right now," Amparo tells News 12.
Attorney Masai Lord is representing the three in a lawsuit filed against the City of Yonkers and several officers.
In a release announcing their arrests back in 2018, police said, "Officers observed the males tampering with both mailboxes, attempting to pry open the doors and engaging in 'fishing' behavior – an attempt to pull mail out through the deposit slot. The three males were then placed into custody and subsequent investigation found them to be in possession of stolen and unauthorized checks, in addition to items commonly used to 'fish' mail."
Lord says that wasn't the case.
"If what they're saying is true and these items were found and they can be traced back to these gentlemen, why would all charges ultimately get dismissed?" Lord asked.
Amparo says he was even sent over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for months after his arrest.
"I don't even want to remember that place. It was a bad time, the worst time of my life," Amparo told News 12.
A spokesperson with the city told News 12 that the city doesn’t comment on ongoing or pending litigation.
But documents filed with the court show the city denied allegations, saying there was probable cause for arrest and the defendants' actions were in good faith.
The case is set to go to trial Sept. 1.
