Thursday, Oct. 02, 2008

Police say women stole mail at post office

By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com

Two women are in jail after Merced police got word of someone stealing mail from the U.S. Post Office on M Street.

Merced police say the women were using checks from stolen mail and account information to make fraudulent charges. One of the suspects was trying to use the money to pay attorney fees for her boyfriend, investigators said.

Suspect Nicole Lee Ureste, 31, was arrested Monday on suspicion of forgery, fraudulent access of account information, petty theft and possession of controlled substances. Police also arrested 27-year-old Millicent Shade on suspicion of forgery and possession of stolen property.

The women were arrested after a monthlong investigation by Detective Dave Alcaraz. The investigation started after police learned someone had removed mail from one of the outside alley mailboxes at the post office, located at 2334 M St., according to Cmdr. Floyd Higdon.

A victim had reported mailing a check to her daughter, who lives out of state. She later received a phone call from a clerk at a check-cashing store, asking for confirmation that she had written the check to the person trying to cash it, Higdon said.

The clerk described the woman trying to cash the check, and the victim confirmed that it wasn't her daughter, Higdon said. The check wasn't cashed. The same victim reported receiving a notice from Correctional Billing Services Credit, which stated that her account was past due with late fees, even though she had never opened such an account.

During the investigation, Higdon said police acquired a photograph of Shade trying to cash the check. He said the photo was taken by a check-cashing company.

Investigators believe Ureste would go to the post office, reach into the mailboxes when they were full and take out mail. She would then sort through the mail, searching for checks and money orders to alter, forge with new names and then cash.

Higdon said she also used the checking account information to set up phone accounts with Correctional Billing Services Credit and run up bills until the account was terminated.

Police identified Shade as the woman who tried to cash the check at a check-cashing store. She admitted the crime after being shown the photograph of her trying to cash the check, Higdon said. Ureste admitted to taking mail from the boxes at the post office, but denied trying to cash any checks, Higdon said.

Shade had already been in Merced County Jail since Sept. 22 on similar charges when police arrested her this week. She told investigators that she was cashing the check to pay attorney fees for Ureste's boyfriend, who's in jail on unrelated charges.

Ureste was arrested at her residence on the 200 block of East Olive Avenue. Police also reported that Ureste was in possession of the drug Vicodin without a prescription.

Higdon said mail theft at a post office isn't a new crime and that no city is immune. "I don't think there's a post office that hasn't had this type of activity," Higdon said.

Still, Higdon said people should always be wary of placing letters in mailboxes that are full or overflowing. "If the mail is piled up high enough, (thieves) can grab and pull it out," Higdon said.

Merced police have sent a report of the incident to U.S. postal inspectors, Higdon said. He said there may be additional victims in the case. Police are asking anyone who have suffered similar circumstances to call (209) 385-6913 to file a report.