A STASH of stolen mail has been found in the back of a vehicle after a driver was seen flinging letters from a car window on the highway.
Cops stopped the driver and discovered a large cache of mail in the back seat of his car, which had “cold plates” on it.
The bust, carried out by Rancho Cordova police in Sacramento, California, follows a surge in stolen mail across the region.
Rancho Cordova Police Department disclosed the latest mail mishap on February 5.
Officers attempted to pull over a black Volkswagen Jetta for a traffic infraction, but the driver accelerated, initiating a pursuit along the highway.
As police closed in, the suspect began tossing stolen mail out of the car window.
The chase ended when officers used spike strips to blow out the car’s tires and the driver was arrested on the spot.
Inside the car, police found a large amount of stolen mail and methamphetamine, according to Rancho Cordova PD statement.
The Jetta had so-called cold plates on it – license plates stolen from a similar vehicle.
The suspect’s name has not been released but he’s facing multiple felony charges.
RCPD and the US Postal Service inspectors are now combing through evidence as the investigation into the stolen mail continues.
Angry USPS customers took to the comment section of the RCPD report about the traffic stop.
One person said they spotted the black Volkswagen in crime watch posts linked to multiple mailbox raids.
A postal worker with over three decades of experience highlighted the issue of mail theft being overlooked despite numerous reports made to law enforcement and postal authorities.
Others wanted to know what happens next, with one user asking if the stolen mail will be returned to residents.
“Our mail was stolen last month, and we now have a hold on it, so we have to physically go to the post office to pick it up,” the person fumed.
Avoiding mail theft
To prevent mail theft, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) recommends residents take several precautions.
- First, avoid letting mail sit in your mailbox—inspect it daily and remove it promptly.
- For package deliveries, track shipments on the USPS website and sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed.
- If you’re not home when your mail is scheduled to arrive, consider asking a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you.
- For longer absences, you can have your mail held at the Post Office by requesting this service online.
- If valuable mail such as checks doesn’t arrive, immediately reach out to the issuing agency.
- It’s also crucial to update your address with the Post Office and any businesses you regularly correspond with to avoid potential issues.
- Lastly, for outgoing mail, it’s safer to hand it directly to your letter carrier or deposit it inside your local Post Office for added security.
Source: U.S. Postal Inspector
The stolen mail was discovered weeks after another USPS-related bust in the same area.
In December, a suspect was found with a stolen USPS master key which allegedly linked him to a spree of mailbox break-ins.
Rancho Cordova law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence as part of their inquiries into the series of mail theft incidents that have occurred throughout the area, as detailed by local CBS affiliate KOVR.
They recovered a USPS master mailbox box key, police said, along with several pieces of mail that did not belong to the suspect.
Officers said they also found suspected fentanyl during the search.
The unnamed suspect was booked into Sacramento County Jail on multiple charges, including identity theft, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of burglary tools.
In yet another incident, a mail carrier in Roseville was robbed at gunpoint for a postal key that unlocked every mailbox in the area.
TROUBLING TREND
With mail theft cases on the rise, US Postal Service inspectors and local law enforcement are cracking down.
Postal inspectors say criminals are after checks, credit cards, and even voting ballots.
Investigators said such crimes have skyrocketed since the pandemic, with criminals targeting checks, credit cards, and even ballots.
In another case of mail theft, a USPS customer’s personal information was stolen, leading to credit card fraud that cost them up to $6,000 in Crescent Park, West Houston.
Residents in the Houston neighborhood have been dealing with issues with their mail since 2023.
They say at least seven cluster mailboxes have been targeted in the area, with hundreds of break-ins over the past few years.
Another had his bank card stolen, and thieves racked up $2,000 to $3,000 in charges.
Statistics show a concerning trend: nearly 70% of Americans have encountered missing or stolen mail.
In 2023, package theft by porch pirates alone accounted for 115 million stolen items, costing consumers an estimated $9 billion, according to Forbes.
The rise in theft is reflected in official reports, with the US Government Accountability Office documenting nearly 600 incidents of robbery against postal workers in fiscal year 2023—a significant increase from just 90 in 2019.
