Officials tight-lipped about mail theft

Camarillo postmaster: Three masked men stole parcels, letters



RETURN TO SENDER—Senior Dep. Chris Dyer of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said that from July 25 to 27 five residents reported that mail had been stolen from the Camarillo post office on Pickwick Drive. ZIA ZOGRAFOS/Acorn Newspapers

Camarillo business owner Gary Cushing lost thousands of dollars after outgoing mail was stolen from the local post office.

On June 22 Cushing dropped off 10 letters containing checks outside the U.S. Postal Service, 2150 Pickwick Drive, and several days later, he said, he received phone calls from his vendors asking when he would be paying his bills.

When Cushing checked his bank account, five of the checks had been cashed, costing him $7,000.

He said that when he asked a USPS employee about the issue he was told no one was available to speak with him. He was instead given a letter.

Signed by Camarillo postmaster Rickey Sanchez, the letter states: “On June 30, 2022, we had three men with masks on come to our dock in Camarillo and take some parcels and some loose letters.

I hope this can resolve some of the customers’ mail that got stolen. Any questions, feel free to call our office about this matter.”

Cushing said he believes the post office should be more transparent about the theft.

“I think they’re trying to downplay what happened,” he said. “I think they should have been more upfront.”

A supervisor at the Camarillo post office told the Acorn he did not have any information regarding the reports of stolen mail.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service sent the Acorn a statement explaining that there has been a recent increase in complaints of mail theft, likely due to the effects of the pandemic, rising parcel volume and an increase in stimulus checks and unemployment insurance payments.

Marjon Barrigan Husted, a spokesperson for USPIS, said that although all mail theft complaints are reviewed by Inspection Service personnel, “a complaint does not necessarily equate to a confirmed instance of mail theft.”

Attempts to contact the Camarillo postmaster were unsuccessful.

Senior Dep. Chris Dyer of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said that from July 25 to 27 five residents reported that mail was stolen from the Camarillo post office.

The sheriff’s office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the reported thefts, he said.

Dyer said residents can remain vigilant by checking their credit scores regularly, attending shredding events and dropping off their mail inside the post office.

To submit a mail theft report, go to postalinspectors.uspis.gov or call (877) 876-2455.