Scott BresslerA series of thefts that struck the mailroom in the Wohl Center of the South 40 in Sept. 2006 were recently discovered, according to the Washington University Police Department (WUPD).
The two suspects, who were employed under a temporary contract company hired by the Washington University mail services, have been identified, questioned and arrested, said Detective Don Moore of WUPD.
After the initial investigation led by Sergeant Mark Glenn, WUPD handed the investigation over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Because theft of U.S. mail constitutes a federal violation, the case was brought to the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The mail, uncovered by a maintenance worker, was hidden in the false removable ceiling tile of a utility room next to the Wohl mail overflow room in Hurd Hall.
“From what we determined in our initial investigation, [the suspects] were looking for cash and gift-cards,” said Moore.
Based on the recovered mail, $200 to $300 was reported missing but no evidence of identity theft was found.
The exact amount of mail or the number of students directly affected has yet to be determined, as the U.S. postal inspectors conducted their own investigation, said Moore.
“We can say that it was ‘numerous’ pieces of mail,” he said.
The suspects were identified by piecing together information, including who was working during specific time frames, traces from interviews with workers, postmarked dates of the mail and the location to which the mail was taken. When arrested, the suspects admitted their guilt.
The suspects were not presented to the State Prosecutor’s Office, said Moore, since they had committed a federal offense.
“If it’s a state [theft], this counts as a Class D felony. You can receive up to four years in prison per violation and a $5,000 fine,” said Rex Burlison, chief counsel of the Eastern District for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
Typically, the penalties for a federal violation are more serious in nature, said Burlison.
The suspects in this case, however, would not face any federal prosecution unless they meet a minimum threshold. The threshold is determined by the number of people affected, the severity of the violation, the amount of money lost, the number of occurrences and other factors.
According to Moore, the two subjects were placed on probation for 18 months in an alternative process called pretrial diversion (PTD) through the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Essentially, it’s like probation. If they make a new violation in that 18-month period, not only do they get charged for the new violation, they will be charged fully with the initial charges before they were put on probation,” he said.
Administered by the U.S. Probation Service, PTD typically diverts offenders from customary prosecuting procedures before charges are pressed.
The program aims to prevent future criminal offenses by directing offenders to community services under supervision, sometimes with a restitutive purpose for the wronged community or individual. PTD also makes more judicial resources available for prosecuting the serious offenses.
An e-mail was issued to all students who had mail addressed to them in the recovered collection. The students were instructed to pick up their mail from the police station on the South 40.
Among those affected was sophomore Isaac Weingram, who had been expecting a letter from his grandmother.
“As far as I am aware, there was nothing missing in my mail,” he said.
Manager of Mail Services Peggy Smith said she is not authorized to comment on the theft itself due to investigative purposes. However, Smith does state that she remains confident in the security of the University’s mail system.
“I do not believe the security of the student mail system is compromised. Security in each of the student mail centers is of high priority each and every day,” wrote Smith in an e-mail. “We take these reports and matters seriously. We work with the University Police Department and U.S. Postal Service to make sure we have appropriate measures in place to keep mail safe and secure.”
According to the Web site of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, postal inspectors are regarded highly for their work and have made more than 6,000 arrests of U.S. mail theft suspects in 2007.
“There have been small incidents [at the University] that I know of. It can happen anywhere with U.S. mail,” said Moore.
Despite the only scattered incidents on campus, Moore recommends that all students follow the important security guidelines for handling their personal mail.
“Always make sure that your mailbox is locked. Do not preset the combinations. If you are expecting mail that does not arrive, check with the sender. If you receive mail that appears to be tampered with or opened, report it to the mailroom personnel or the postmaster of the local post office,” said Moore.