What started as a quiet day in Volusia County ended with a South Florida pair in handcuffs, after police say they were caught cruising neighborhoods and swiping mail from local boxes. Port Orange police identified the suspects as 40-year-old Yania Romero and 36-year-old Yohan Mayo, both of Hialeah, and said officers detained them in Deltona on April 3. Investigators later seized about 40 checks with an estimated value of roughly $47,000 and have tied the haul to at least 25 victims across Volusia and Flagler counties.
How police say they tracked the pair
According to Port Orange police, the trail started with home-surveillance footage and automated license-plate readers that helped detectives zero in on a black Nissan Sentra. That information led to a BOLO and eventually to deputies stopping the car in Deltona. Police allege the vehicle pulled up next to a mailbox, a passenger grabbed an outgoing envelope containing a personal check, and a search of the car turned up roughly 40 checks worth about $47,000. Investigators say they have identified 25 different victims across Volusia and Flagler counties, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has opened its own investigation. Romero and Mayo now face multiple counts of mail theft and possession of five or more pieces of personal identification information, according to ClickOrlando.
Protecting your mail
Mail theft is not just an annoyance. It often fuels check fraud and identity theft, and outgoing checks sitting in residential mailboxes are an especially easy target. Officials with the Volusia Sheriff's Office urge residents to drop checks at a post office or blue collection box instead of leaving them out for pickup, and to keep an eye on home cameras and suspicious vehicles lingering near neighborhood mailboxes, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
How to report stolen mail
If you think your mail has gone missing, do not shrug it off. The first step is to file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service through its online portal at U.S. Postal Inspection Service or by calling 1-877-876-2455. Then alert your bank and local police to any potential fraud. The Postal Inspection Service also maintains victim resources and reporting forms on its website, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Legal consequences
For anyone tempted to try a mailbox hit of their own, federal law is not subtle. Stealing mail or knowingly possessing stolen mail is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1708 and can bring fines and up to five years in prison. Related charges, such as mail fraud or identity theft, can stack on even more time. The statute is available at 18 U.S.C. § 1708 (LII).
Port Orange police say the investigation is still active and are asking anyone with video or information to contact detectives. For now, the arrests serve as a pointed reminder to lock down outgoing mail and keep a close watch on neighborhood drop boxes.
