KETTERING — Just days after Kettering police announced four arrests connected to area post office thefts, another Kettering post office was targeted by thieves who were able to open outdoor drop boxes, according to police.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 4 arrested in connection to recent string of area mail thefts, Kettering police say
A post office worker at the Forrer Boulevard location called Kettering police around 3:30 a.m. Thursday after finding the outdoor mailboxes had been opened, a Kettering police spokesperson told News Center 7 Tuesday.
Officers responded and took a report after the worker made the discovery. Kettering police sent the findings of their investigation onto the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the spokesperson said.
It was not known what was missing from the boxes and wouldn’t be known until individuals reported either missing mail or fraudulent financial activity, the spokesperson said.
The Postal Inspection Service confirms the agency is continuing an “ongoing active investigation” into mail theft in the Dayton area and investigators have been in contact with the Department of Justice about the investigation.
“We are working alongside our local partners and are currently following up investigative leads. Our agency has also been in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Ohio. I can’t provide any investigative details at this time due to maintaining the integrity of the investigation,” the U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesperson said in a statement to News Center 7 Tuesday.
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The open mail boxes and suspected mail theft happened about a week after Kettering police announced four men were arrested on charges connected to a string of mail thefts.
Keith Calahan, 23 of Dayton, Amond Turner, 23, of Trotwood, Jeff Weaver, 22, of Centerville, and Leonard Blackstone, 19, of Kettering were all charged with theft charges after arrests May 19.
A search warrant at an apartment on Gracemore Avenue led to police finding stolen mail from drop boxes at the Forrer Boulevard post office, Kettering police said in a May 19 news conference.
Police believe the four had access to a stolen key from the post office that was able to unlock the outdoor boxes, officers said in the previous news conference. However, police added they believed the four arrested were not the only suspects in the string of mail thefts across Kettering and reported in other parts of the area including Washington Twp. and Beavercreek.
If you suspect you’re the victim of mail theft or fraud, or have information that can help investigators you’re asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 or email CFOMT@uspis.gov.
This is a developing story and we’ll update this page as we learn more.
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