The United States Postal Service is advising San Benito County residents to not place mail in their drive-thru drop-off boxes after the final daily collection time, as they have been experiencing mail theft.
Mail theft is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in federal prison and/or up to a $250,000 fine.
Postal Inspector Jeff Fitch said there is an ongoing federal investigation led by a San Jose team looking into thefts that began in late 2019 from the Hollister drive-thru drop box at 100 Maple Street. He said there is not a lot of information that can be provided other than that USPS is working with the Hollister Police Department and the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.
Dropping off mail before the last collection at 5 p.m. did not make a difference for resident Rene Sarmento. She said she incurred two late fees totaling over $300 after several checks she placed in the drop-off boxes to pay bills earlier this year were stolen.
“At this time that is happening, a lot of people don’t have extra money and it hurt me financially,” Sarmento said.
After noticing her checks had not cleared, she called the post office and was made aware of the thefts. She said she was told someone uses a stick and tape to remove mail from the boxes.
“I’m not trying to make a complaint,” Sarmento said. “I only want everybody to be cognizant and aware of the issues because it happened to me and I don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
As a result, Sarmento—who used the drive-thru drop box as a precaution against COVID-19—now goes into the office to drop off her mail inside.
Fitch said it’s important for people to report any mail they’ve placed in the drop boxes that is not delivered. He said additional documentation such as bank or credit card statements of transactions that were not made by the cardholder should also be reported to the USPS.
The USPS has a standing reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any individual for mail theft.
Fitch said Santa Clara County sites are also experiencing mail theft. Anyone with information can call (877) 876-2455.
“Investigations are a priority and we take them very seriously,” Fitch said.
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