Mail-Identity Theft: April 2015

Here is a round-up of mail theft news and mail-related identity theft from across the nation in April 2015.

April 1:

• CLE ELUM, Washington: Daily Record – Alleged mail thief caught in Cle Elum; “A man wanted as part of an alleged mail theft ring — where three people face dozens of counts of identity theft, fraud and other charges — was booked into the Kittitas County jail Tuesday.”
• OAKLAND, California: Pleasanton Weekly – Woman arrested, two men under suspicion in identity theft case; “During the officers’ search, drugs and stolen mail were found in the car, police said. Officers continued their search and allegedly found numerous mail from several cities around the Bay Area, marijuana with a pipe, shaved keys in the car ignition, paperwork that didn’t belong to any of the vehicle occupants and a stolen license plate was placed on the vehicle.”
• WOODLAND HILLS, California: CBSLA – Man Accused Of Trying To Steal Mail In Woodland Hills May Have Been Caught On Video; “Residents in Woodland Hills are being warned to keep locks on their mailboxes after police say there has been an increase in mail and identity theft in the area.”
• ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Alaska Native News – ‘Superman’ Pleads ‘Guilty’ to 16 Counts of Drug Dealing and Fraud; “Escalante and his co-conspirators used checks, credit cards and personal identification information stolen from the mail and from vehicle break-ins to obtain funds and merchandise to which they were not entitled. Escalante recruited his co-conspirators by providing them with methamphetamine and a portion of the items and cash obtained from the stolen checks and credit cards.”

April 2:

• LEXINGTON, South Carolina: WACH FOX – Repeat offender wanted for stealing check from mailbox; “The Lexington Police are looking for Johnnie Martin III, 49, after he stole a check from a mailbox and then brought it to the SC State Credit Union in Lexington.”
• WICHITA FALLS, Texas: NewsChannel6 – Police Warn of Increase in Rent Payment Thefts; “The Wichita Falls Police Department has noticed an increase in mail theft, including the theft of rent payments from apartment complexes.”
• NEWARK, Ohio: Newark Advocate – Public Records: Crime Report; “Mail was reported stolen from the first block of West Mail Street before 11:37 a.m. Wednesday.”
• WICHITA FALLS, Texas: Times Record – Police: Thieves stealing rent checks; “The notice came one day after police sent out a public alert warning about a rise in theft from residential mailboxes. In those instances, thieves have taken checks, such as utilities payments, from mailboxes, altered them and cashed them.”
• LEXINGTON, South Carolina: WISTV 10 – Man wanted for forging checks from stolen mail; “The Lexington Police Department needs the public’s help finding a man accused of forging checks stolen from mail.”

April 3:

• CAMARILLO, California: Camarillo Acorn – Police deliver bad news: Mail thefts on the rise: Crooks looking forfinancial info; “The Camarillo Police Department has received 18 reports of stolen mail from both residential and industrial areas in the last three months. Some victims were not aware that their mail had been stolen until they were contacted by police.”
• BROOKINGS, Oregon: Curry Coastal Pilot – Court Report April 4, 2015; “Daniel Joseph Grubb, born 1992, of Brookings, on felony identity theft and mail theft charges; he was released.”
• COACHELLA VALLEY, California: The Desert Sun – Our Voice: Residents beware — mail thefts on the rise; “Authorities are warning that a rash of thefts from mailboxes first reported in Indio has cropped up in other communities, including La Quinta and Desert Hot Springs.”
• SAMMAMISH, Washington: Issaquah Reporter – Egging, mail theft and a foot pursuit | Sammamish Police blotter March 23-28; “Someone pried open a mailbox in the 2200 block of 219 Lane Southeast using a screwdriver or another thin tool. Little more than an hour later, it was reported that someone had pried open a mailbox in the 21400 block of Southeast 20th Street. These two cases may be related.  It is unknown what, if anything, was taken from either mailbox.”
• MEDFORD, Oregon: Medford Tribune – Emergency services; “Scott Anthony Bessey, 44, of the 600 block of Edwina Avenue, Central Point. Phoenix police Thursday arrested Bessey on charges of felony fourth-degree assault, felony strangulation, possession of methamphetamine, harassment, violation of a no-contact order a parole violation for mail theft. He was lodged in the jail without bail.”

April 4:

• KITTERY, Maine: WCSH 6 – Kittery police warn residents about possible mail theft; “The Kittery Police Department says they have received several reports of mail and packages being removed from mailboxes in their town.”
• WEST SEATTLE, California: West Seattle Blog – West Seattle Crime Watch: Mail theft in 2 neighborhoods; “Two reader reports involving stolen/tampered mail.”
• BANGOR, Maine: Bangor Daily News – Kittery police warn residents about mail thief; “Kittery police are warning residents about a person stealing mail and packages out of mailboxes in the areas of Dennett and Martin roads and Love Lane.”

April 6:

• MERCER ISLAND, Washington: KOMO 4 – Two arrested in string of Mercer Island mail thefts; “A car crash led police to a pair of mail theft suspects tied to thousands of stolen letters and packages. The women had been going through mail boxes in neighborhoods throughout the island, according to investigators. On March 28, the suspects crashed their car, and when officers showed up to help, they found stolen mail piled up inside the vehicle.”
• JACKSONVILLE, Florida: WJAX 47 – Police discover Springfield mail thief is person of interest in another crime; “Fabiano said he told the woman to put the mail back, and followed her down the sidewalk, taking pictures of her on his phone. He called police and showed them the photos. When officers talked to Kimberly Blair, they say she gave a fake name. She even had someone else’s ID card.”

• WALLINGFORD, Connecticut: Record Journal – Police say Wallingford man stole mail, forged checks; “Police say a Wallingford man stole mail from 77 homes in Wallingford, then forged and cashed checks worth several thousand dollars.”

April 7:

• BAYONNE, New Jersey: The Jersey Journal – Identity theft ring in Bayonne busted, cops say; “In the end, it was Jacqueline Brito’s attempt to buy furniture that gave away a five-person identity theft ring in Bayonne that police say stole people’s mail to create fraudulent driver’s licenses, credit cards and checks.”

• WALLINGFORD, Connecticut: Record Journal – Stolen mail case affected residents on 20 different Wallingford streets, police say; “These days law enforcement commonly deals with digital fraud and the variety of methods used to steal personal data online. But a more traditional form of fraud, through the conventional mail, is just as serious and can be even harder to detect, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service.”

April 8:

• REDMOND, Washington: Redmond Reporter – Officers investigate ID thefts, fraud | Police blotter for April 7; “Redmond police took a mail-theft report at 1:21 p.m. in the 16900 block of Northeast 104th Street.”
• BAYONNE, New Jersey: NJ.com – 5 nabbed in alleged identity theft ring in Bayonne: cops; “Bayonne police say it was Jacqueline Brito’s attempt to buy furniture that gave away a five-person identity theft ring that stole people’s mail to create fraudulent driver’s licenses, credit cards and checks.”
• MERCER ISLAND, Washington: Mercer Island Reporter – Police Blotter; “Two women from Lynnwood and Seattle were arrested at the 7600 block of West Mercer Way on suspicion of mail theft. Their vehicle had high-ended just off the roadway. They were booked into King County Jail, and the vehicle was impounded and secured at MIPD, awaiting a search warrant.”
• SAN DIEGO, California: FOX 5 – Woman who stole mailed packages gets 23 year sentence; “A woman who stole mailed packages from the front yards of East County homes was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison. Martha Lampley, 37, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of residential burglary and one count each of second-degree burglary and attempted burglary.”
• REDDING, California: KRCR 7 – Redding man being sought for mail theft and fraud; “Police said Powell steals checks from unsecured mailboxes, alters them and then cashes them at local businesses including Wal-Mart, Safeway and Tri-Counties Bank.”

• JURUPA VALLEY, California: Inland News Today – Identity theft investigation ends in arrest; “Between January 2015 and April 2015, numerous residents in the city of Jurupa Valley were the victims of mail theft, ultimately resulting in the theft of their identity and a monetary loss.”

April 9:

• PASCO COUNTY, Florida: WFTS Tampa Bay – Theft ring targets Pasco County mailboxes; “A mail theft ring has left more than 40 victims in and around Zephyrhills, according to Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.”
• INDIO, California: The Desert Sun – Indio man arrested under suspicion of mail theft: Police have arrested a suspect in the mail and identity theft that plagued areas in La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indio earlier this year; “Police have arrested a suspect in the mail and identity theft that plagued areas in La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indio earlier this year.”

• EL CAJON, California: CBS 8 – Judge delivers huge sentence to East County mail thief; “Home surveillance video provided by one of the victims led to Lampley being re-arrested late last year, and investigators tracked down stolen mail in a rented storage unit.”

• LAS VEGAS, Nevada: KLAS 8 – Southwest condo complex suffers multiple mailbox break-ins; “One valley housing community is on high alert after two brazen mail thefts in just one week. Security video shows three men working together, breaking into mailboxes inside the Tuscano Condo Complex near Sunset Road and Rainbow Boulevard.”
• HOLLADAY, Utah: FOX 13 – Crash lands man in federal custody for 42 counts of bank fraud, ID theft, stolen mail; “Stephen Danson with the Postal Inspector’s Office said a suspect indicted for 42 counts of bank fraud, identity theft and stolen mail is now in federal custody.”

• PASCO COUNTY, Florida: WFLA 8 – Crooks stealing mail in Pasco County neighborhoods; “The sheriff said over the past several days, more than 50 people have been the victim of mail theft. It’s happening primarily in the East Pasco County area near, Zephyrhills. There are 15 victims in the Lake Bernadett subdivision and about a dozen more in and around Fort King Acres.”

April 10:

• MADISON, Wisconsin: Madison.com – Thief steals mail using glue on rope, police say; “A very creative thief used rubber cement and a rope to steal mail dropped through door slots in the town of Madison, police reported.”
• LA CANADA, California: La Canada Valley Sun – Crime Report: Caller helps authorities nab mail thief suspects; “The informant said he’d seen two men in a white Camry who did not look like they belonged in the neighborhood. When the suspects opened a mailbox there, he called out to them and they took off. When a car matching their description was pulled over nearby, deputies found 18 pieces of mail that did not belong to either suspect, a screwdriver, a black beanie and latex gloves.”
• PARADISE, California: Paradise Post – Police Log: April 7; “Theft — Petty: 2:37 p.m. on Azalea Ln. Theft of mail from mailbox within the last two hours. Citizen Assist: 09:55 at Academy Dr/Nunneley Rd, Paradise. She found mail in the roadway. Mail returned to owner. Info given re ID theft. Theft — Petty: 18:19 on Ingalls Rd. Mail stolen from locked mailbox. Reporting party contacted.
• CAMARILLO, California: Camarillo Acorn – Sheriff’s Blotter; “Mail was stolen from a home in the 2000 block of Daily Drive between March 11 and 13.”
• COLUMBIA, Pennsylvania: ABC 27 – Police: Suspect in mail thefts investigated in others; “Police from several jurisdictions are now investigating whether Adamczak is linked to any of the number of mail theft cases across the county in the last two to three months.”

• PALM DESERT, California: Palm Desert Patch – Man Arrested in Rash of Palm Desert Mailbox Thefts: The man is suspected of stealing mail from La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indio homes; “A 62-year-old Indio man was behind bars Friday, suspected of stealing mail from homes in La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indio, then altering checks and engaging in identity fraud.”

• EAST HEMPFIELD, Pennsylvania: Lancaster Online – East Hempfield police charge Columbia man with stealing and trying to cash outgoing checks; “Lancaster County has seen a number of theft cases involving mail in the last two or three months, Marsh said Friday.”

April 11:

• ZEPHYRHILLS, Florida: The Tampa Tribune – Authorities investigating theft of mail in Zephyrhills area; “There could be more than 40 victims in the city of Zephyrhills and Pasco County combined, according to the sheriff’s office.”
• AUBURN, Washington: KIRO 7 – Mail thief breaks into locked mailboxes in Auburn; “Security footage caught a burglar breaking into a locked mailbox at Hardy Engineering in Auburn Friday morning.”

April 12:

• LUBBOCK, Texas: Everything Lubbock – Woman Sentenced for Stealing Mail, Personal Info from Lubbock Church; “An indictment accused Johnson of abusing a credit card owned by Indiana Baptist Church. The indictment accused her of possessing stolen mail, stolen social security cards and other stolen forms of ID belonging to several people.”

April 13:

• CEDAR CITY, Utah: The Spectrum – Arrests; “Bryan David Torrey, 2130 S. 9500 West, Cedar City, was arrested Sunday on charges of receiving stolen property, two counts of possession of drugs, criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia and mail theft. Torrey was booked into the Iron County Jail on $12,000 bail.”

April 14:

• REDMOND, Washington: Redmond Reporter – Officers investigate burglaries, ID thefts | Police blotter for April 8-13; “You’ve got no mail: Redmond police took a mail-theft report at 8:37 a.m. in the 14800 block of Redmond Way.”
• WEST SEATTLE, Washington: West Seattle Blog – West Seattle Crime Watch: 3 reader reports, Alki to Westwood; “First time she found mail “opened and tossed in the hallway,” she called police who came to retrieve it; second time, she says, she was referred to the post office and the apartments’ manager. Today, she’s made a third find, she says, and credit cards had been removed from the mail; she contacted the card companies, who pointed her to the police, who again referred her to the post office and building manager.”
• PITTSBURG, California: NBC Bay Area – Pittsburg Residents Frustrated Over Mailbox Vandalism; “Several residents of a Pittsburg community are up in arms after the United States Postal Service is requesting they pay for what vandals have done to the neighborhood’s mailbox. “They can basically put the crow bar in it and pop the lock up,” resident Alex Dongallo said of the neighborhood mailbox.”

April 15: 

• OVIEDO, Florida: Click Orlando 6 – Thieves targeting mailboxes in Oveido, police say; “Oviedo police are searching for thieves that are targeting mailboxes in the Alafaya Woods subdivision. Police said in the last two days, at least five people have reported stolen mail.”
• REDMOND, Washington: Redmond Reporter – Officers investigate mail and ID thefts | Police blotter for April 14; “You’ve got no mail: Redmond police took two mail-theft reports at 8:18 p.m. in the 13200 block of Northeast 70th Street and at 7:55 p.m. in the 7000 block of 132nd Avenue Northeast.”
• OVIEDO, Florida:  WFTV.com – Mail thieves striking Oviedo neighborhoods; “Oviedo police are trying to find thieves who are stealing checks and tax forms out of mailboxes. According to police, nearly a dozen people in the Alafaya Woods, Big Oaks and Little Creek neighborhoods have filed reports saying that they’ve lost mail.”
• DETROIT LAKES, Minnesota: DL-Online – Crime & Accidents; “At 2:24 p.m. a resident on the 1500 block of East Shore Drive reported a mail theft that occurred Dec. 9. Taken were a package, a Christmas card containing cash and a renewed driver’s license.”
• OVIEDO, Florida: MyNews13.com – Mail stolen from Oviedo residents’ mailboxes; “Since Monday, more than half a dozen Oviedo residents have reported mail stolen right from their mailboxes.”

• TUSCON, Arizona: Tuscon News Now – Watch your mailbox; “One midtown neighborhood is on alert after a rash of mail thefts, which federal and local law enforcement officials warn has increased over the last two months. Officials say residents should be concerned because stolen mail could lead to a bigger problem – identity theft.”

April 16:

• CAMARILLO, California: Thousand Oaks Acorn – Police offer tips to avoid mail theft; “Due to the increase of mail theft in the area, the Camarillo Police Department offers tips to safeguard residents against having their mail stolen.”
• BOISE, Idaho: The Statesman – Vandals target mailboxes, tires in Boise’s North End; “Eleven mailboxes were dented or knocked over between the 2800 block and 3500 block of North 36th Street, police said.”

April 17:

• LA CANADA, California: Valley Sun – Crime Report: Residential burglaries and mailbox vandalism, theft; “3900 block of Hampstead Road. A woman reported that sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. that day, someone damaged her mailbox and may have stolen mail from inside it. A deputy observed the interior sleeve of the open mailbox laying on the ground with pry marks on it. The deputy later noted that at 5:35 p.m. that day, a report came in that an Asian woman appearing to be in her 40s who was driving a white sedan was seen opening mailboxes on Robin Hill Road. 4000 block of Robin Hill Road. A woman told deputies her neighbor had called her cellphone sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m. that day to inform her that two people in a white vehicle had driven up to her mailbox and removed an unknown amount of mail from inside. A deputy observed the victim’s open mailbox but did not notice any signs of forced entry.”
• FAIRFIELD, California: The Reporter – Two arrested on mail theft allegations; “Thorsen and Sykes were in possession of an excessive amount of mail from thirty different victims who resided in the neighborhood, according to police.”
• CARMEL, California: KION – Identity theft suspect arrested in Carmel, deputies say; “During a search of the car, deputies said they found nine California driver’s licenses, two fake driver;s licenses, 24 various credit and debit cards in different names, a Social Security card, a notebook with sensitive information on various people, stolen mail, methamphetamine and a smoking pipe.”

April 18:

• SOUTH JORDAN, Utah: Draper Net – Draper woman arrested on suspicion of mail theft; “A 44-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of mail theft after police said she was found in South Jordan with hundreds of pieces of mail belonging to over 125 people.”
• SOUTH JORDAN, Utah: KSL.com – Woman arrested following alleged mail theft, drug possession; “The van the woman was driving was found to contain hundreds of pieces of mail belonging to 127 victims, from Eagle Mountain to Salt Lake City. The woman also possessed a number of credit cards that did not bear her name.”

April 19:

• ANCHORAGE, Alaska: KTUU 2 – Two face slew of charges in home burglaries and mail theft in Mat-Su area; “Two Wasilla residents are facing a slew of charges in connection to six separate residential burglaries and hundreds of mail thefts, Alaska State Troopers wrote in a dispatch Sunday.”
• SOUTH JORDAN, Utah: Deseret News – Woman stole mail from 127 people, police say; “Police have arrested a woman who they say was taking mail from more than 100 homes.”
• SALT LAKE CITY, Utah: FOX 13 – Citizen takes action, leads South Jordan police to suspect who has at least 127 alleged victims; “A tip from a citizen helped police arrest a woman accused of stealing mail belonging to 127 different people, and the woman was also allegedly in possession of drug paraphernalia as well as credit cards not in her name that may have been stolen.”

• FAIRFIELD, California: Suisun City Patch – Police Bust Pair of Alleged Mail Thieves in Fairfield: A citizen first alerted law enforcement to the theft. The duo reportedly swiped mail from 30 homes; “Police said Thorsen and Sykes were in possession of “an excessive amount” of mail from 30 different victims who lived in the neighborhood.”

April 20:

• SOUTH JORDAN, Utah: Salt Lake Tribune – Police find hundreds of pieces of allegedly stolen Utah mail in woman’s van; “South Jordan police found hundreds of pieces of allegedly stolen mail in a woman’s van.”
• REDMOND, Washington: Redmond Reporter – Officers investigate mail thefts | Police blotter for April 15-19; “You’ve got no mail: Redmond police took a mail-theft report at 3:07 p.m. in the 17000 block of Northeast 88th Street.”
• WASILLA, Alaska: Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman – Couple arrested on theft charges: AST recovers $20,000 in property from 6 burglaries; “In addition to the recovered property from six burglaries, Taylor and Friend stole mail from U.S. mailboxes, affecting “several hundred victims,” according to troopers.”

April 21:

• GLASTONBURY, Connecticut: Glastonbury Patch – Glastonbury Police Bust Suspected Mail Thief: The suspect faces dozens of charges that he stole area residents’ identities, created fake checks and then cashed them; “Glastonbury Police have charged a Manchester resident with dozens of charges accusing him of swiping checks from residents’ mailboxes and then creating and cashing fake checks by using the victims’ names and account numbers, police said on Friday.”
• BLOUNTVILLE, Tennessee: TriCities.com – Sullivan officials warn of thefts from mailboxes; “The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports of checks being stolen from mailboxes.”
  
• SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tennessee: WCYB.com – Watch your mailbox if you mailed checks; “Police say that at this time, it looks like the suspect’s intention is to get personal and banking information from the checks they’re stealing from mailboxes.”
• MANCHESTER, Connecticut: Manchester Patch – Manchester Man Is Facing Mail Theft, Forgery Charges: The suspect faces dozens of charges that he stole area residents’ identities, created fake checks and then cashed them; “Glastonbury Police say they have arrested a Manchester resident on dozens of charges, accusing him of swiping checks from residents’ mailboxes and then creating and cashing fake checks by using the victims’ names and account numbers.”
• CARMEL, California: Monterey County Now – Carmel Police nab two suspects in two unrelated burglaries in the span of one day; “Upon being searched, officers found that 31-year-old Sand City resident Brandon Calantoc and a 30-year-old Seaside woman were in possession of mail and drug paraphernalia. The two are suspected to have forced open post office boxes and stolen mail and a search of their car revealed stolen credit cards and “personal information.””
• SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tennessee: Times News – Sullivan County mail thief snatches account info; “Police are suggesting that some residents of Sullivan County review their bank statements if they mail checks to pay bills, as recent thefts from mailboxes have compromised accounts and led to fraudulent charges.”
• SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tennessee: WCYB.com – Sullivan County deputies looking for mailbox thieves; “Thieves are targeting mailboxes and privacy in Sullivan County. Sullivan County Deputies tell News 5 the incidents have been spread across parts of Kingsport and Bristol.”
• HOLLYWOOD, California: My FOX LA – Caught On Tape: Thieves Stealing Mail From Hollywood Apartment Complex; “Fast forward to April 15th, Tax Day, a woman in South LA contacted FOX 11 after finding dozens of peoples checks and other personal information on her front yard. Some of those items had been mailed out by a FOX 11 employee from his Playa Vista home the day before.”

April 22:

• SAN BERNADINO, California: Highland Community News – Mail theft suspect sought; “Gurule would then create counterfeit checks with the stolen account/routing information and cash those checks. The victims don’t realize that they are victims until they receive information from the intended payee that they never received their payment.“
• WALLA WALLA, Washington: Union-Bulletin – Mail, identity thief sentenced to drug treatment; “A woman who admitted having mail that was stolen from multiple Walla Walla Valley addresses in December, in addition to committing four other crimes, was sentenced Tuesday to drug-offender treatment.”
• SANTA CLARA, California: San Jose Mercury News – Police Blotter; “Identity and mail theft–Between March 31 and April 9, someone used a resident’s personal information to access the resident’s credit account, requested a replacement credit card and stole the new credit card upon delivery.“
• SANTA CRUZ, California: Monterey Herald – ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ bank robbery suspect arrested, linked to Carmel burglaries; “Police found stolen mail, stolen credit cards and a purse and locket necklace believed to have been worn during the Santa Cruz robbery, Escalante said. Santa Cruz police had distributed surveillance pictures to the media and other law enforcement agencies of “Mrs. Doubtfire” wearing a similar purse during the US Bank robbery.”

• MARION, North Carolina: McDowell News – Detective: Mail thief in custody; “A Marion man has been charged in connection with a series of mail thefts across McDowell County.”
  

• SAN BERNADINO, California: The Press Enterprise – SAN BERNARDINO: Suspected mail thief at large; “A man who police say stole mail and used the contents to create and cash fake checks is at large and police are asking for the public’s help.”

April 23:

• EL DORADO COUNTY, California: ABC 10 – El Dorado County mail theft spree investigation yields 7 arrests; “Lt. Tom Murdoch said deputies served two search warrants in San Joaquin Valley on April 16 and recovered stolen mail packages, checks, bank account information, Social Security numbers and other personal information that can be used to open accounts. It appeared there were between 30 and 50 victims whose mail had been reported stolen in El Dorado County.”
• SANTA FE COUNTY, New Mexico: Albuquerque Journal – Five arrested in suspected identity theft ring in Santa Fe County; “Five people were arrested on charges related to operating an identity theft ring after stealing checks and credit cards from residents’ mailboxes, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
• SALINAS, California: The Salinas Californian – Sheriff’s Log: Copper wire stolen; “10:17 AM RP REPORTED ON-GOING MAIL THEFT. Victim/s: 64 years old, male.”
• EL DORADO COUNTY, California: Sacramento Bee – Searches lead to seven arrests in El Dorado County mail thefts; “Seven people have been arrested in the past two weeks in connection with mail thefts that have occurred in El Dorado County over the past six months.”

April 24:

• MEMPHIS, Tennessee: My FOX Memphis – Postal Investigators Searching For Mail Thief; “Postal investigators are looking for a mail thief who they say has caused at least $35,000 in losses to victims in South Memphis.”
• RIVERSIDE, California: The Desert Sun – Customers warned of DMV mail theft; “More than 30 pieces of incoming mail were stolen from the mailboxes outside of the offices during the weekends of March 21 and March 28, some of which may have included personal information from customers.”
• SANTA FE, New Mexico: Albuquerque Journal – Five people arrested on ID theft charges; “Five people were arrested on charges related to operating an identity theft ring after stealing checks and credit cards from residents’ mailboxes, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
• RIVERSIDE, California: The Press Enterprise – RIVERSIDE: Mail stolen from DMV mailboxes; customers’ identity at risk; “Mail was stolen out of mailboxes outside two Riverside offices of the state Department of Motor Vehicles, and the DMV is warning customers that their personal information may be at risk.”
• CALAVERAS, California: Calaveras Enterprise – Sheriff’s Log; “6:57 p.m., Mountain Ranch – Suspicious circumstances; mailboxes in driveway were all left open. South Railroad Flat Road. 8:26 p.m., Mountain Ranch – Petty theft; missing item of mail. East Murray Creek Road. 10:02 p.m., Mountain Ranch – Suspicious circumstances; mailboxes all open; no mail in the box. South Railroad Flat Road. 9:03 a.m., Mountain Ranch – Theft; package missing.”
• RIVERSIDE, California: CBS Los Angeles – Mail Sent To DMV Offices In Riverside Stolen; “About 30 pieces of incoming mail were stolen from the mailboxes outside the DMV Riverside Call Center and DMV East Riverside Field Offices, DMV officials said Friday in an alert to customers.”
• ATLANTA, Georgia: Henry Daily Herald – Feds indict 16 people in $10 million stolen checks scam; “Horn said that according to the charges and other information presented in court Shuler and Minter are alleged to have received stolen U.S. Treasury checks that were taken from the mail before reaching their intended recipients. The stolen checks included tax refund, Social Security and Veteran Benefits checks.”
• PRIOR LAKE, Minnesota: Prior Lake American – Police calls from the April 25, 2015 edition; “April 16: Mail theft was reported in the 15700 block of Fremont Avenue.”
• PHELAN, California: Daily Press – Residents to take mail complaints to senators; “According to Rogers, he and numerous other residents have complained to Phelan postmaster Victor Maldonado about the issues, and have invited him to meetings. He has not showed up, according to Rogers. Calls to the Phelan post office requesting comment have not been returned.”
• MEMPHIS, Tennessee: WMCA 5 – CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Man stealing from U.S. Postal Service Drop Mailboxes; “A man is wanted for stealing thousands of dollars of checks from United States Postal Service drop mailboxes. He was caught on surveillance video and now a warrant is out for his arrest.”

April 27:

• WEST SEATTLE, Washington: West Seattle Blog – West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck; swapped plates; bicycles found/sighted; mail theft; “In the 9400 block of 10th SW (map), Fran A spotted several mailboxes open this morning, with mail littered on the street, including an envelope that was supposed to contain her husband’s new driver’s license.”
• EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah: HeraldExtra.com – Suspect in Eagle Mountain mail theft could have at least 127 victims; “South Jordan residents reported a possible mail theft in progress a week ago, and police officers arrested a woman connected to the theft of mail from boxes. There are more than 100 victims who have had their mail stolen, including residents of Eagle Mountain, police said.”
• SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, California: Santa Clarita Valley Signal – Thefts from SCV mailboxes continue; “In Valencia, on Friday morning, a woman found mail belonging to 10 Valencia residents taken from their mailboxes, ripped open and discarded on the paseos near Valencia Valley Central Park.”
• GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota: KARE 11 – Thief targeting cash mailed inside birthday cards; “In the past several weeks, many families have reported receiving birthday cards in the mail already opened, often with cash missing inside.”

April 28:

• EAST ST. LOUIS, Missouri: STLToday.com – Collinsville man admits to helping to steal mail, identities; “A man from Collinsville pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud Tuesday and admitted his role in using stolen mail to obtain credit cards, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.”

April 29:

• SPRINGFIELD, Missouri: KSPR 33 – Man with long criminal history is charged with stealing IDs; “A man from Springfield is suspected of victimizing about 50 people by stealing mail from their mailboxes.”
• RALEIGH, North Carolina: ABC 11 – Residents On Alert For Package Thieves In North Raleigh; “Neighbors in the Brook Forest Townhome community in North Raleigh hope surveillance images help nab what they believe might be a serial package thief. Apparently, several other neighbors have gotten their mail stolen as well.”
• SPRINGFIELD, Missouri: Springfield News-Leader – Police: Springfield man stole hundreds of pieces of mail; “Springfield police say a man with a history of identity theft was charged with another count after hundreds of pieces of stolen mail were found in his vehicle. During an investigation of his vehicle, police found several hundred pieces of stolen mail, including checkbooks, credit cards and other identifying documents, according to a news release from the Greene County sheriff.”
• OAKLAND, California: Contra Costa Times – Postal service removing continuously-burglarized East Oakland mailbox; “The mailbox across the street from the Marcus Foster Station at 9201 International Blvd. was burglarized for the fourth time since January last week, according to the Postal Service.”
• SPRINGFIELD, Missouri: OzarksFirst.com – Springfield Man Charged For Mail Theft; “A Springfield man has been arrested for stealing mail from mailboxes after a resident reported the suspicious activity.”

April 30:

• CENTRALIA, Washington: The Chronicle – Sirens: Failed Mail Theft; “Officers received a report of someone unsuccessfully trying to pry open mailboxes in the 1200 block of Lum Road in Centralia at 2:35 p.m. Wednesday.”
• KANSAS CITY, Missouri: Kansas City infoZine – Four Men Indicted for Identity Theft, Counterfeit Check Conspiracy; “According to the indictment, Sutton unlawfully obtained identity and account information belonging to other persons and businesses. Sutton allegedly stole these items from a business and from the mail and allegedly paid addict co-conspirators in cash and/or drugs for checks, identification information, credit card numbers, and other information that could be used to create counterfeit checks and identifications.”
• LAKE OSWEGO, Oregon: Lake Oswego Review – Alleged mail fraud ring hits Lake Oswego residents; “An alleged mail fraud ring based in the Portland area has hit a number of Lake Oswego homes. Canby Police Lt. James Murphy visited some of the victims last week, and one resident of North Shore Drive said he was told his mail was among the items that had been stolen.”
• SANTA CLARITA VALLEY, California: Santa Clarita Valley Signal – 11 felony counts filed against alleged SCV ID thief; “On April 19, Detective Perry Tardif of the Sheriff’s Department Parks Bureau arrested Taylor on suspicion of identity theft after allegedly being found in possession of other people’s mail.”