Stolen Mail Recovered After Cluster Boxes Vandalized
A search warrant executed by Las Cruces police uncovered a large cache of mail that’s believed to have been stolen over the last few weeks from letterboxes and U.S. Postal Service cluster boxes in various parts of the community.
So far, investigators have determined that the stolen mail represents well more than 200 victims in Las Cruces and areas just outside city limits. Unfortunately, the recovered mail cannot be returned to its rightful owner at this time as it is considered evidence in a federal crime.
The vandalized cluster boxes and stolen mail is believed to have occurred from late April 2021 through May 19.
The investigation is ongoing. No criminal charges have been filed at this time.
Las Cruces police detectives are working closely with investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The theft of U.S. Postal Service mail is a federal crime. It’s also illegal to buy, receive, conceal, or unlawfully possess any letter, postal card, package, bag, mail, or any article that has been delivered or set inside a U.S. Postal Service receptacle, mailbox or cluster box.
Typically, suspects who steal mail do so to gain access to personal or financial information. They then try to use the information to illegally apply for credit using a stolen identity or otherwise use the information to gain a monetary advantage. The Las Cruces Police Department encourages anyone who has been a victim of stolen mail to regularly review their credit history, and check bank and credit statements for unauthorized activity.
Police also encourage residents to check their mailbox daily to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim if a U.S. Postal Service receptacle is vandalized.
Anyone who believe they have been a victim of stolen mail, or has any information on damaged cluster boxes, is asked to call police at (575) 526-0795. Reports can also be directed to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or online at www.uspis.gov.
