Two individuals have been apprehended for their alleged involvement in mail thefts at a Sunrise apartment complex. Fernando Bernabe Rodriguez, 28, and Wilfredo Rivero, 31, were implicated in the case, which caught public attention after surveillance footage of the thefts circulated widely. According to NBC Miami, both men were seen on camera on April 26 and 28, using crowbars to pry open mailboxes.
Caught on camera, the suspects were filmed with one stuffing mail into his shirt and pants. Following the release of the footage in early May, the U.S. Postal Service offered a hefty $100,000 reward for information leading to their capture. Rodriguez was eventually arrested and booked into the Broward County Main Jail on a U.S. Marshals Service detainer, as reported by Local 10 News. He is currently held without bond, pending trial, and has been named as a co-defendant in a federal indictment filed last Thursday.
Rivero was identified by his unique tattoos during a stakeout in Hialeah, despite changing his appearance by shaving his head, as per Hoodline. Both suspects are now facing federal charges for theft of mail, which is a felony. Rodriguez faced charges alongside Rivero, who was previously captured in late May and faced one count of mail theft.
Rivero, living about a mile from the crime scene, was released on a $75,000 bond with the conditions, including GPS monitoring and the surrender of his passport. Although Rivero has admitted to his role in the thefts during a conversation with an informant, saying he was the man in the footage, he and Rodriguez await their day in court.
