A trip to the post office should be the safest way to send a letter, but for many in Camarillo, it was a trap. Two men found a way to use the mailboxes themselves to help them steal from their own neighbors.
WHAT HAPPENED
Alejandro Jacobo and Juan Antonio Landa are now in jail after a "check washing" spree at the Pickwick Drive post office. Police say the pair used cardboard to jam the outside mail drop slots so they would look full.
When people left their letters on top of the pile, the thieves would grab the mail as soon as the coast was clear. They used chemicals to erase the names and amounts on checks they found, writing in new numbers to steal a total of $100,000.
Detectives watched the post office during a secret stakeout and spotted the suspects' car. When they searched the vehicle, they found a pile of stolen mail and checks that had already been changed.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
- $100,000+ was stolen from local victims through this scam.
- 2 men were arrested and are currently behind bars.
- $75,000 is the bail set for each suspect.
- 12 checks or more were found inside the suspects' car.
- 1 location on Pickwick Drive was the primary target for the thefts.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
We are told to trust the blue boxes on the street, but how often do we actually look at them? This crime worked because it was "low-tech"—just a piece of cardboard and some chemicals bought at a store.
Readers should ask why these boxes are so easy to jam and why the post office hasn't fixed the design to stop this. If we can't trust the mailbox outside the building, the system that keeps our bills and gifts moving is in real trouble.
THE OTHER SIDE
The suspects are currently in custody and will have their day in court. Their defense may argue that the evidence found in the car does not prove they were the ones who actually altered the checks or jammed the boxes.
However, being caught at the scene of the crime with a car full of stolen mail makes that a very difficult argument to win. The physical evidence found by the detectives appears to be very strong.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
If you dropped mail in the outside boxes at the Camarillo Post Office recently, call your bank and check your statements. You may need to cancel your checks or report fraud.
Police are telling everyone to stop using the outside boxes if they look full or jammed. The safest move is to walk inside the building and hand your mail to a worker or use the slots inside the lobby.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- How many other post offices in the area were targeted by this duo?
- Are there more people involved in the "check washing" part of the ring?
- Will the Post Office install new, more secure mailboxes to prevent cardboard jams?