Two Detroit men charged in connection to stealing mail from 10 Rochester Hills homes
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Two Detroit men have been charged in connection to stealing mail from 10 homes in Rochester Hills after a woman caught them stealing from her mailbox, authorities said.
Jaylen Boykins, 22, and Devon Bailey, 19, were charged with four counts of intent to commit identity theft and eight counts of mail theft. Authorities say they could face more charges as more victims are identified.
Authorities say on Wednesday, June 14, a woman reported that a car with noticeable damage pulled up to her home in the 500 block of Snowmass Drive and took outgoing mail from her mailbox.
Deputies found the suspect vehicle in the area and conducted a traffic stop. When they searched the vehicle, deputies found mail from the caller's home and mail taken from 10 other homes in the area.
In addition, one of the suspect's 1-year-old child was in the backseat of the car at the time of the traffic stop and was turned over to child protective services.
"A combination of heads-up citizenry and good police work were able to stop what clearly was going to be an expanding criminal enterprise that stole more and more personal identities," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "Anyone in that timeframe who had placed outgoing mail in a street side mailbox should confirm that checks were received by the intended recipient. It's also
a good idea to monitor your credit cards, checking account and put a credit freeze in place."
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says both Boykins and Bailey posted 10% of the $4,000 bond given at the arraignment.
The two men told authorities they were taking the mail and selling stolen checks for $20 each and stolen credit cards for $100.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim connected to the mail theft crime is urged to contact the Oakland County Sheriff's Office at 248-858-4950.
