Mail-Identity Theft: March 2014

Each month, we continue to be shocked by the increasing prevalence of stolen mail and mail-identity theft related crimes. This is a growing trend across the nation. Some things we have noticed:

• Most victims don’t realize when their mail has been stolen until the perpetrator is caught (usually with stolen mail)
• Thieves arrested for mail theft typically do not spend significant time in jail for their crimes
• Whereas mail-identity theft used to be most common on the West coast, now it is an epidemic across the nation

What follows is a summary of mail-identity theft related news stories curated from March 2014 across the United States.

Mar. 2:

• FRESNO, California: KMPH 26 – Suspected Mail Thief Caught on Camera

Mar. 3:

• MORAN PRAIRIE, Washington: The Spokesman Review – Suspected P.O. box thief arrested
• SPOKANE COUNTY, Washington: KHQ.com – Reports Of Mail Theft Leads To Arrest
• EDNA, Texas: Victoria Advocate – Mail stolen from Edna drop boxes
• WEST MENLO PARK, California: San Jose Mercury News – Police Blotter: San Jose woman arrested after stolen mail found in car

Mar. 4:

• WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: WPTV – A growing crime has thieves targeting your mail and forwarding it to another address

Mar. 5:

• CHINO HILLS, California: The Daily Bulletin – Riverside men held in Chino Hills mail thefts
• LOS GATOS, California: San Jose Mercury News – Blotter: Police receive mail tampering reports from Los Gatos, Monte Sereno residents
• NORCROSS, Georgia: Daily Reporter – Police: About 50 mailboxes pried open at apartment complex just northeast of Atlanta
• LAS CRUCES, New Mexico: Las Cruces Sun-News – Sheriff’s deputies arrest postal theft fugitive in Anthony

Mar. 6:

• LAS CRUCES, New Mexico: NewsWest9.com – California Fugitive Arrested in New Mexico
• CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: WBTV 3 – Mail thefts in Plaza Midwood
• QUINCY, Washington: iFIBER ONE – More than 250 pieces of stolen mail found in Quincy motel room
• BELMONT, California: San Carlos Patch – Police: Belmont Burglary Suspect Nabbed After He Uses Stolen Credit Card: Police say they were able to connect the man to a local break-in, after he used a credit card he took from the house.

Mar. 7:

• AUSTIN, Texas: KEYE TV – Postal Inspectors Putting Austinites On Alert For Mail Theft
• BELMONT, California: San Mateo Daily Journal – Belmont: Man arrested for identity theft

Mar. 10:

• CAMERON, Texas: KXXV 25 – Identity theft could be behind recent post office break-ins

Mar. 11:

• TACOMA, Washington: Peninsula Daily News – Port Townsend mail thief sentenced to 51 months in prison
• KITSAP COUNTY, Washington: Kitsap Sun – Mail thief gets more than 4 years in federal prison
• NEILLSVILLE, Wisconsin: WAOW – Some 40 mailboxes vandalized in Clark County
• GREENWICH, Connecticut: Connecticut Post – Greenwich police charge four with theft of mail

• MODESTO, California: Modesto News – Modesto mail thief caught on cam

• WAUSAU, Wisconsin: WSAW 7 – UPDATE: Wausau Man Pleads Not Guilty to Stealing Mail

Mar. 12:

• NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida: Tampa Bay Times – New Port Richey woman arrested again in mail fraud case
• TACOMA, Washington: Bainbridge Island Review – Mail thief sentenced to 51 months in prison
• MODESTO, California: NEWS 10 ABC – Police: Modesto mail thief caught on camera
• TYRONE, Georgia: The Citizen – Mailbox theft suspects chased from Tyrone to Coweta
• BRENHAM, Texas: KBTX – Mailbox Crimes Reported in Areas Near the Brazos Valley
• BARTOW, Florida: Bay News 9 – Woman arrested in massive Pasco mail theft case
• NORCROSS, Georgia: Gwinnett Daily Post – Alleged Norcross mail thief ID’d, not detained
• LILBURN, Georgia: Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch – Police ID Suspect in Mailbox Break-Ins at Norcross Apartments: Wesley Lamance Allen, 28, of Lilburn, is suspected of breaking into around 50 mailboxes on March 4.

• MODESTO, California: KCRA – Alleged Modesto mail thief caught on camera: Victim shares surveillance video on social media to a huge response

Mar. 13:

• BELL COUNTY, Texas: Temple Daily Telegram – Mail theft suspects arrested
• WACO, Texas: KWTX.com – Two Arrested In Theft Of Mail From Local Post Office Drop Boxes

• SANTA CRUZ, California: KION – Santa Cruz police warning of alleged mail theft

Mar. 14:

• BELL COUNTY, Texas: The Killeen Daily Herald – Two arrested in area mail thefts case
• LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: WAVE 3 – Stolen postal box leaves Louisville woman questioning USPS
• LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: WHAS11 – Stolen mailbox causes mystery for local business woman mailing bills

Mar. 15:

• NEW FREEDOM, Pennsylvania: The York Daily Record – Southern Regional Police investigate identity theft cases

Mar. 17:

• YORK COUNTY, Pennsylvania: FOX 43 – Mail stolen out of mailboxes in York County
• FLETCHER, OKLAHOMA: KSWO 7 – Rash of mailbox vandalism plagues Fletcher
• NEW FREEDOM, Pennsylvania: ABC 27 – Police investigate mail, identity thefts
• BELL COUNTY, Texas: The Hillsboro Reporter – Arrests Made In Postal Theft Cases

Mar. 18:

• KAHULUI, Hawaii: Honolulu Star Advertiser – Woman arrested in mail theft after officer notices suspicious actions
• BARROW, Georgia: Barrow Patch – Woman Reports Fraudulent Charges After Check Went Missing from Mailbox: After check meant to a pay a bill disappeared, $1,500 in purchases were made with her checking account.
• DEWITT COUNTY, Texas: DeWitt County Today – Crime Stoppers seeks to ID suspected mailbox thieves
• MAUI, Hawaii: MauiNow.com – Haʻikū Woman Arrested for Alleged Mail Theft and Card Use

Mar. 19:

• FAYETTE COUNTY, Georgia: The Citizen – Deputy puts stop on mail thieves
• SUNBURY, Pennsylvania: The Daily Item – Woman faces prison term for theft of mail
• RICE LAKE, Wisconsin: Barron News-Shield – Charged with taking checks from neighbor’s mailbox
• OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma: FOX 25 – Police impersonator arrested, meth and stolen mail found

Mar. 20:

• SUNBURY, Pennsylvania: The Daily Item – Mailbox thief took card info, charged $30G
• BEDFORD COUNTY, Virginia: ABC 13 – Bedford Co. Deputies Looking for Mailbox Vandals
• DEWITT COUNTY, Texas: Victoria Advocate – Personal banking information stolen through series of mail thefts

Mar. 21:

• WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania: NewsItem.com – Sunbury woman pleads guilty to mail theft, fraud

Mar. 22:

• MORENO VALLEY, California: CBS Los Angeles – Moreno Valley Police Bust 2 Brothers For Alleged Mail Theft

Mar. 23:

• MORENO VALLEY, California: Banning-Beaumont Patch – Traffic Stop in Moreno Valley Leads to Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Mail Theft Discovery

Mar. 24:

• CALVERT COUNTY, Maryland: SOMD.com – Calvert Co. Sheriff’s Reports
• FRESNO, California: Bakersfield Now – Woman pleads guilty in mail theft case
• JACKSONVILLE, Florida: FCN – On Your Side: Getting answers after mail theft
• LEXINGTON, Kentucky: WKYT – Consumer Alert: Thieves get away with thousands in mail fraud scheme

Mar. 25:

• SAN ANTONIO, Texas: KSAT 12 – Woman charged in stolen check case
• SAN ANTONIO, Texas: WOAI 4 – Woman arrested for stealing checks out of a mailbox

Mar. 27:

• GOLDEN, Colorado: Denver Post – Golden Crime Blotter: Mailbox theft

Mar. 28:

• CHULA VISTA, California: KUSI – Chula Vista man jumps suspected mail thieves
• REVERE, Massachusetts: Revere Journal – Police, Secret Service Nab Major Id Theft Suspect

Mar. 29:

• THURSTON COUNTY, Washington: YelmOnline.com – Sirens: Mail Possibly Stolen
• PORT ORCHARD, Washington: Port Orchard Independent – DISTRICT COURT | Two transients charged in mailbox thefts

Mar. 30:

• SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Washington: Enumclaw Courier-Herald – Man operating mobile ID theft lab sentenced | U.S. District Court

Mar. 31:

• TEXOMA, Texas: TexomasHomepage.com – Mail Theft Offers Easy Avenue for Identity Theft
• EUGENE, Oregon: The Register Guard – Reward offered in Eugene mail theft case
• EUGENE, Oregon: KVAL.com – $10,000 reward in string of Eugene mail thefts