U.S. Postal investigation launched after multiple post offices hit in St. Louis County

TOWN AND COUNTRY (KMOV) - Thieves at night are going to work, and they’re not just stealing cars, now they’re stealing mail, too.

Multiple post offices in St. Louis County were hit by suspects stealing mail from the blue self-serve mailboxes outside the Chesterfield and Town and Country locations in the last couple of weeks.

“I wouldn’t guess that this would be an unsafe place to drop your mail off. I figured it would be safer than your house,” Sandy Drezek said.

Drezek was dropping off packages at the Chesterfield post office Thursday. It’s a place typically used for safeguarding your personal deliveries, checks and birthday presents, but now it’s a target for thieves.

“My in-laws mailed off some bills, and they had their bills taken, and somebody tampered with their checks and tried to get money from them,” another USPS customer said.

Since July, Chesterfield Police said the blue mailboxes outside the Swingley Ridge Road post office have been hit multiple times. For now, there’s no telling what valuables or personal information the thieves took.

“It’s unfortunate. I guess people just know the location, maybe they’re thinking it’s nicer, maybe there’s cash in the envelopes,” Drezek said.

Thursday morning, Town and Country’s post office on Town and Country Commons Drive became the latest target. This time, the suspects were caught, taken into custody, and an investigation with the U.S. Postal inspectors is underway.

“For right now, we’re trying to maintain the security of these blue collection boxes. We want the community to be able to utilize the postal service without being victimized,” Matt Villicana said.

Villicana is a U.S. Postal Inspector. He said they’re recommending people avoid using the outside mailboxes. He said your best option is to drop off packages or mail items inside. If you have to use the outdoor boxes, Villicana said it’s best to check the pick-up time. He said you want to drop off your items before the last pick-up time to avoid leaving your mail sitting vulnerable overnight.

“Especially with it being a federal offense, you figure it would be safe, but you’re not really safe anymore I guess,” Drezek said.

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