then the North Freeway about 16
miles per hour. Back to you in
a thank you. KPRC. 2
investigates has warned you
repeatedly about Houston’s huge
mail theft problem. Business
owners in Katy who lost
thousands of dollars.
>> They put up their own money
to lead cops right to the
thieves stealing their mail
night after night.
>> But this morning
investigator Amy Davis is here
with why those victims are fed
up and feeling helpless.
Amy?
>> Yeah, good morning, guys.
It’s not just them. I’ve heard
from a lot of you whose checks
had been stolen from the mail
and then washed and cashed.
It’s a growing problem across
the country. In a recent case
in Katy is a good example of
what businesses and individuals
are up against.
>> Provincial professional park
on Kingsland Boulevard in Katy
is home base for about 50
businesses that rent office
space. Here.
Payments to keep their
companies in business are
delivered by U.S. mail to this
cluster of boxes every day.
About 16 months ago, they
discovered missing checks, then
checks that were washed in
cash.
>> Causing the businesses.
Tens of thousands of dollars.
It’s been on and off.
>> For about
a year that we’ve had to adjust
how when we get our mail and
when we put our mail out in
order to make sure that the
overnight theft doesn’t affect
us or patients.
>> When reporting the theft to
authorities in health, they
installed security cameras and
watched night after night.
Thieves drive up unlock the box
is empty. The contents and take
off April 19th at 02:59AM.
April 27th at 2.33, in the
morning. May 8 this time in
a truck May 30th. Then July
3rd. Finally, these videos got
the attention of the U.S.
Postal Inspection Service who
set up surveillance with Harris
County Precinct 5 and on July
31st. When the suspects came
back again.
♪
>> Cops counts the suspects ran
but deputy constables walk them
back to the scene, even took
this group photo and posted
on Facebook.
>> Caught with their hands in
the mailbox. 19 year-old
Markeis Dale and 18 year-old
Jeremiah Gamez both charged
with unlawfully carrying a gun
in a motor vehicle and evading
arrest. The precinct 5
constable’s office posted on
Facebook. Quote, the 2 suspects
had several trash bags
containing stolen mail in their
possession along with illegal
narcotics and a firearm.
The stolen mail was turned over
to the U.S. postal inspector
for further investigation.
And then hours later, both Dale
and Gamez were released on
bond. No federal charges
related to the mail theft were
even filed. Leaving business
owners right back where they
started 16 months ago. No one
from the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service responded to our
requests about why the suspect
were released from jail and
have yet to be charged. But
data from the federal agency
show even though mail theft is
on the rise in the number of
suspects arrested and convicted
has dropped every year since
2018 numbers. Not encouraging
for customers losing money and
faith in our mail system.
We have a check stolen and
therefore my bank account was
compromised. So I had to
change.
>> Everything.
>> So we both of those suspects
out of the jail. Most of the
business owners were afraid to
talk on camera. We do know that
they’re both due in court in
early October on the evading
arrest and gun possession
charges and click 2 Houston dot
com. You can find the number 2,
the Postal Inspection Service
that you should call if you are
a victim. If you have mail
stolen out of your mailbox
because it’s happening. All of
these cluster mailboxes where
they can easily going steal
hundreds of pieces of mail and
same time. Wow.
>> And it’s not easy. It’s not
easy. Just go to the post off
and say, OK, I’m just going to
use the post office from now
on. They’re getting his mail
directly to that right was less
than what the
post office.