Arrest in mysterious mail theft case but no answers, who stole mail?
FORT WORTH — Fort Worth Police have arrested a suspect in a mysterious case involving mail theft at the main Dallas Post Office.
Now, the arrest is raising a bigger question- Who stole the mail?
In April, the I-Team interviewed Dallas business owner Kim Pettigrew who owns design stores. She contacted the I-Team after she says her business checks were stolen from a drop box outside the main Dallas Post office.
On Friday, February 16, Pettigrew said one of her employees dropped several checks in the outdoor mailboxes in front of the post office off Interstate 30.
Through the weekend, Pettigrew said the checks should have been headed to the bank where she does business in New York.
Instead, by Monday, just three days later, at least one of the checks appeared to be in Fort Worth, 45 miles away from the post office in West Dallas.
The I-Team confirmed someone tried to cash Pettigrew's business check at PLS Financial Services on McCart Avenue in Fort Worth.
A PLS Financial Service spokesperson told the I-Team their attorneys sent store surveillance video of the attempted check cashing to Fort Worth detectives.
A Fort Worth detective later told the I-Team they believe 23-year-old Fort Worth resident Sha Mia Frasier used her own driver's license as identification while trying to cash the check.
The I-Team tried to visit and talk to Frasier when we first reported this story in April, but she did not respond to the requests at the time.
Arrest in fraudulent check case
Five months after the alleged mail theft and attempt to cash the check, Fort Worth police arrested Frasier.
Tarrant County court documents confirm she has been indicted on a state jail felony; however, the charge is not for mail theft.
Frasier faces a fraud charge in connection wit hthe alleged use or possession of a stolen business check.
"I believe that the police department in Fort Worth has done everything they can," said Pettigrew. "…but beyond that, no one can no one can say how she got the check, how she reproduced the check, who she got the check from…"
Is any agency investigating the mail theft?
Pettigrew says she now has more questions, and she is furious no agency appears to be investigating the mail theft aspect of her case.
"Checks are being intercepted and counterfeited and presented for money through criminals… . We're not addressing the problem. The problem starts at the United States Postal Service, and they refuse to get involved and call me back."
Pettigrew says she's made numerous calls to USPS representatives all over the country trying to find out who is investigating how her checks were removed from the mailbox outside the Dallas Post Office. She says no one will follow up with her.
The I-Team also reached out to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service looking for answers. A spokesperson said the agency cannot comment, because Fort Worth Police is the lead agency on this case.
Fort Worth Police told the I-Team the postal inspectors are not involved in their counterfeit check case.
"It's grandmothers, sending checks, sending cash to their grandchildren," said Pettigrew . "It's gift cards. …it's not just companies that are impacted by this."
Pettigrew believes the lack of interest in solving the mail theft case proves why mail theft is such a nationwide problem for businesses and residents.
"Someone has to be accountable. And I feel the accountability needs to be at the United States Postal Service. …If they don't have enough manpower or cameras or infrastructure to support…getting mail to where it needs to go, that's a problem. That's a huge problem!"
Suspect calls the I-Team
Sha Mia Frasier recently responded to the I-Team's attempts to reach her.
"I have court coming up and until then and I can't answer questions," Frasier said in a brief phone call.
She told the I-Team she found the check in her mailbox.
"It had my name on it , so of course, I tried to cash it," said Frasier. "Who would not try to cash the [check]?"
Minutes into the conversation, she abruptly hung up the phone as the I-Team continued to ask questions where she got the check. She could not be reached again.
The I-Team repeatedly tried contacting the Dallas Post Office to find out what security measures had been put in place since the theft.
U.S. Postal Inspector responds
A Dallas Post Office spokesperson referred the I-Team to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Postal Inspector for the Fort Worth Division sent the following information/statement:
The U.S Postal Service (USPS) and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced in May 2023, our Project Safe Delivery campaign to crack down on postal crimes, including attacks against postal employees. Combating mail theft and violent crimes targeting Postal Service employees is of the highest priority for the Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service. As the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, USPIS leads the organization's efforts to protect all USPS employees, and efforts to ensure the secure delivery of mail to the American public. To date, USPIS has made over 1,400 arrest for mail theft and over 280 arrest for robberies of USPS letter carriers. USPS and USPIS have taken the following measures to address postal crimes and employee safety:
- USPIS continues a series of targeted law enforcement surges in major metropolitan areas facing significant threats from organized postal crime. Each operation uses wide-ranging law enforcement partnerships including with the Department of Justice, Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, other federal agencies, and local law enforcement.
- 15,000 High-Security Blue Collection Boxes Installed Nationwide.
- Ongoing Replacement of Antiquated Arrow Locks with 28,000 Electronic Locks installed nationwide.
- Increased Monetary Rewards
Action the American Public Can Take To Help Prevent Mail Theft
Customers can take several steps to protect their mail and their letter carriers, including:
- Don't let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. You can significantly reduce the chance of being victimized by simply removing your mail from your mailbox every day.
- Deposit outgoing mail through a number of secure manners including inside your local Post Office or at your place of business or by handing it to a letter carrier.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon.
- Become involved and engaged in your neighborhood via neighborhood watches and local social media groups to spread awareness and share information.
- Keep an eye out for your letter carrier. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your carrier, call 911.
The details about Project Safe Delivery were announced in May 2023. When the I-Team asked for more specific and more recent information regarding security measures at the main Dallas Post Office, the Fort Worth U.S. Postal Inspector sent the following statement:
"The Fort Worth Division, which covers all of North Texas, has been a part of the national campaign and implementations in the statement."
Mail theft statistics in North Texas
The CBS Data Team learned there are about 5600 mail thefts reported every year in the North Texas region- that's more than 15 reported thefts a day.
Look up thefts in your neighborhood
You can check out the number of reports in 2021, 2021, and 2023 in your zip code by using the following chart: