Two men have been slapped with federal charges several months after they were caught on camera breaking into mailboxes at a Katy business park. Marquice Dale, 19, and Jeremiah Gamez, 18, are facing heat for a string of crimes, including mail theft and evading arrest, officials said.
Back in August, the pair was seen on surveillance footage pilfering mail from a cluster mailbox, leading to an investigation reported by KPRC 2 and subsequently resulting in their arrests this summer. Though initially not hit with mail-related charges after their arrest, Dale and Gamez had warrants out for their arrest filed by the Harris County DA's Office, laying on felony charges related to the thefts. The United States Postal Service and federal investigators are pushing for stiff penalties over the alleged repeat offenses."I do think mail theft is a serious problem. It’s something we take very seriously in the DA’s office," Mike Levine, Harris County Prosecutor, stated in the report.
Dale and Gamez were nabbed after deputies from Harris County Precinct 5 observed the pair with "hands in the mailboxes" in the 21300 block of Provincial Boulevard, ABC13 detailed.
Not only did they attempt to flee, leading to a brief chase, but the suspects were also in possession of several trash bags full of stolen mail, illegal drugs, and a firearm. "It doesn’t always happen immediately, but these cases are being worked aggressively; they are being worked in conjunction with good cooperation with state, local, and federal law enforcement, and if you’re stealing mail, we are going to catch up with you and the penalty is going to be severe," Levine warned, as per KPRC 2.
In response to growing concerns, the USPS has implemented 'Project Safe Delivery', a nationwide initiative to bolster mail security. Measures include the installation of 12,000 high-security blue collection boxes and replacing 49,000 outdated locks with electronic versions to combat mail theft and protect postal employees against robberies, according to KPRC 2. A third suspect, Kevonne Hyde, 23, has also been implicated and is currently behind bars, authorities revealed.
