Three individuals from Washington's South Sound have been indicted on federal charges for a series of burglaries targeting post offices across the Puget Sound region, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. Justin Tate of Tacoma, Gregory Foster of Port Orchard, and Paula Gamboa of Federal Way are accused of spanning their thefts over multiple counties, including Kitsap, Thurston, Pierce, King, and Island counties. Tate, 36, was recently sentenced for an unrelated crime and has been moved to federal custody. He is expected to appear for his arraignment in Tacoma at 1:30 PM, following his co-defendant,s who have already been arraigned.
The indictment alleged that Tate, who is claimed to have led the burglary operations, wore face masks alongside Foster to conceal their identities during the robberies. They are said to have begun their crime spree on the Fourth of July in 2024, breaking into the Olalla Post Office. This cascade of events would go on to include several other burglaries, where mail, along with cash and other valuables, was stolen. The indictment outlined incidents from July 8, when Tate and Foster attempted to enter Littlerock Post Office, to July 31, when Tate and Gamboa broke into the Clinton Post Office on Whidbey Island.
Tate's list of charges doesn't stop at burglary: he's also facing two counts of bank fraud for transactions involving over $20,000, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft resulting from the misuse of his victims' identities to further his fraudulent acts. "The indictment charges Justin Tate with two counts of bank fraud and lists various transactions that constitute the bank fraud charges," the U.S. Attorney's Office released in a statement that details the charges.
Though the charges in the indictment are merely allegations at this point, the penalties if convicted are severe. The accused could be looking at up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, with bank fraud potentially leading to 20 years behind bars. Aggravated Identity theft carries a mandatory minimum of two years, which will run consecutively to any other sentences. The case has been investigated thoroughly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore. As always in the U.S. judicial system, the accused party remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For updates and more information on the prosecution, inquiries can be directed to Emily Langlie, Communications Director for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who can be contacted at (206) 553-4110 or via email at [email protected].
