A Chicago man is accused of turning other people’s mail into his personal pipeline for identity crimes after investigators say a years-long string of thefts that began in May 2023 finally caught up with him.
According to WGN-TV, the suspect, identified as Daniel Krichisky, was arrested on June 18 following a joint investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents and Chicago police. He is facing three counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of burglary, with authorities saying a multi-agency probe linked multiple thefts to the same alleged offender.
In a statement quoted by WGN-TV, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said that “mail theft will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be brought to justice.” Investigators told the station they believe the thefts began in May 2023 and warned that additional charges could follow as they sort through recovered mail, financial records and other evidence.
The arrest lands in the middle of a broader regional crackdown on mail theft. In one recent example, postal inspectors and Chicago police arrested two people near the 1100 block of W. Winona Street in April after finding tools and bags of stolen mail in an apartment mail room, according to a USPIS news release. Officials say coordinated investigations like these help trace stolen letters and packages back to specific incidents and, just as importantly, to identity-theft victims who may not even know their information has been compromised.
What investigators say
Authorities describe the Krichisky case as very much ongoing. Postal inspectors and Chicago police are still working to match stolen pieces of mail with affected accounts and identities, a process that can take time when investigators are dealing with stacks of seized envelopes and documents.
Local reporting has noted that postal inspectors are continuing similar investigations across Chicago neighborhoods and nearby suburbs, and that more charges could surface as the paper trail is fully mapped out. Translation: anyone whose information shows up in that recovered mail could be getting a call.
How residents can protect mail and identity
Officials say anyone who suspects their mail has been stolen should contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or file a report online through the agency’s reporting page at U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Residents can also sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, which provides a digital preview of incoming mail and packages, use locked or cluster mailboxes when possible, retrieve deliveries promptly and keep a close eye on bank and credit accounts for unexplained activity. Enrollment for the service is available through Informed Delivery.
Mail theft cases can range from quick, opportunistic grabs to organized schemes that end up in federal court. Recent federal actions highlight that authorities are treating these crimes seriously, and prosecutors and postal inspectors say that cooperation between agencies, including local police, USPIS and federal prosecutors, is crucial for building cases that lead to indictments and, ultimately, convictions.
