Police make arrest in connection to stolen mail from overstuffed collection boxes
GRAPEVINE (CBSNewsTexas.com) – A big arrest Wednesday night is bringing some relief to hundreds of North Texans who are finding themselves victimized by stolen mail that leads to check fraud.
U.S. Postal inspectors and Grapevine police conducted a stakeout of a collection box and arrested a man they believe has been stealing mail in multiple cities.
Manila envelopes filled with nothing more than bed pillow packing material – that's what authorities say Demonde Bennett was stuffing into U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.
He's accused of using them to make deposited mail rise to the top so that the 22-year-old could steal checks and fraudulently cash them.
"Over $300,000. He was responsible in either making out checks to himself or selling them over the dark web," Larry Strauss said.
That's what Strauss says postal inspectors told him after he was informed of the arrest.
The 76-year-old Plano retiree was a victim of check fraud earlier this year and was doubtful anyone would ever be caught for a crime that authorities say is rampant right now in the U.S.
"I think it's a lesson learned that any other prospective mail thieves better think twice," Strauss said.
Court documents reveal that postal workers in Grapevine were recently noticing multiple manila envelopes inside collection boxes "that all contained bed pillow packing material crafted in a manner that made them 4-6 inches thick."
Authorities determined it had no postage and was only being used to cause the collection boxes overflow, making it easy to reach in and grab real mail, much of it containing checks.
Authorities decided to stakeout the boxes and that same day, according to the arrest report, they witnessed Bennett "get his arm deep into the box opening and remove mail."
He was arrested by Grapevine police who say inside his car they found "numerous checks on the driverside floorboard" along with "5 padded manila envelopes and a bed pillow that had been cut open."
"I feel sorry for him. He's only 22-years-old. He has a whole life ahead of him he is a young guy if he had brains enough to do mail theft, he has brains enough to do something productive," Strauss said.
CBS News Texas first reported in February on complaints of check fraud in several cities where USPS collection boxes were found overflowing with mail.
Three times already this year, letter carriers in Plano, Dallas and Bedford have been robbed at gunpoint for what are called arrow keys.
They can open any collection box and have been found for sale on the dark web for $2,000 each.
The news of at least one arrest has victims of mail theft hopeful that authorities are making progress on finally getting the crime under control.
"The postal inspectors followed through," Strauss said. "The post office in Plano was on high alert, as a result they caught the individual and all of my things have been resolved."
Bennett has pleaded not guilty in a Fort Worth federal court.
Of course, thousands of North Texans are waiting until the last minute to pay their taxes and will have to decide whether to trust sending checks through the mail.
If you do, the postal service recommends using the indoor collection boxes.