SACRAMENTO, Calif — Neighbors said they had video of an apparent mail thief in a Sacramento neighborhood, but they are also having a hard time getting someone to actually investigate.
The apparent mail theft was caught on camera in a gated Sacramento community. A woman drives up in broad daylight, gets out of her truck and goes around to the back of this mailbox in the Belmont Estates area. She appears to walk away with a handful of mail.
She hasn’t been charged with a crime at this time, but it’s not the first time this has happened. Neighbors shared videos with 10 On Your Side of the same truck driver doing the same thing in the middle of the night.
Homeowner Maria sent ABC10 an email saying:
"The last incident occurred in broad day light on May 6, 2024, at 12:45 p.m. We have attempted to get assistance from the Sheriff’s Department and we have been referred to the USPS Inspection Service (USPSIS). When I filed my complaint with the USPSIS I was informed that I would be contacted by the investigator "IF" they decided to follow up on my complaint. I informed them that we had 20 homes in our community that had been impacted."
10 On Your Side went straight to the U.S. Postal Inspector for answers.
“I would like to thank her here on your program for making the effort to contact the postal inspection service and share the information that she’s provided. That’s not always the best use of investigative resources to call people back if the information has already been provided. But, we do want to get the word out as far as possible that people can contact postal inspectors. Postal inspectors are investigating these cases, and we take them very seriously,” said Matthew Norfleet, postal inspector.
Norfleet said they have seen an uptick in mail theft across the nation, which, if convicted, can lead to up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. He said mail theft is a year-round problem and reporting these cases is what makes a difference especially given admitted staffing challenges.
“We could always use more people, so I’m not saying we have as many people as we need. It’s a huge problem. We’re hearing these reports from across the country, communities that are unfamiliar with reporting it now,” he said.
The postal service has now replaced the key to gain entrance to Maria’s gated community and neighbors have even placed locks on the back of the cluster box.
"The number one thing we can ask people to do is not leave their mail in their mailbox any longer than necessary," said Norfleet. "Be aware of the delivery schedule, the collection schedule and not leave that mail out there any later than it needs to.”
People can always call the National Law Enforcement Communications Center 24 hours a day to report mail theft. The number is 877-876-2455.
Do you have an issue and don’t know where else to turn? Email Onyourside@abc10.com.
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