A San Diego couple has admitted to running a years-long mail theft operation that targeted a local post office and apartment complexes across the city, a scheme that prosecutors say netted more than $150,000 over roughly two years.
Federal prosecutors identified the defendants as 33-year-old David Anthony Burge and 36-year-old Kyrsten Renee Bospflug. Both pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges tied to stealing mail and personal documents, then altering checks and funneling the money into bank accounts they controlled, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
How the Scheme Worked
Postal investigators say thieves often zero in on cluster mailboxes and PO boxes because they can yield checks and sensitive personal paperwork that are ripe for fraud. According to the Postal Inspection Service, criminals frequently use stolen or counterfeit postal keys and even "fish" through mail slots to pull out envelopes. The agency groups these kinds of cases under its Project Safe Delivery effort.
Where It Happened
Prosecutors say the thefts in this case hit the Bonita Post Office and multiple apartment complexes on Island Avenue, Georgia Court, Broadway Street, Ohio Street, 31st Street, Riviera Drive and Pacific Beach Drive across San Diego. Court filings allege the defendants gathered victims' personally identifiable information, then impersonated them at banks to open accounts in the victims' names. The scheme ultimately brought in more than $150,000, and the pair are scheduled to be sentenced in June 2026, according to the The San Diego Union-Tribune.
What Comes Next
The defendants are awaiting their June 2026 sentencing date in federal court. In the meantime, officials are urging anyone who thinks they may have been caught up in the scheme or any similar mail theft to act quickly: contact the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, then notify your bank and local police. The agency also provides online reporting tools and victim support resources on its website at the Postal Inspection Service.
