Investigators say a 37-year-old man used fake postal keys to attack cluster mailboxes in multiple cities in Snohomish County.
LYNWOOD, Wash. — A 37-year-old man accused of playing a role in a Snohomish County mail theft operation has been arrested after a weeks-long investigation, the Lynwood Police Department said.
Linwood detectives arrested the man Wednesday in downtown Everett, just blocks from the Snohomish County Jail.
Investigators say he used forged postal keys to target cluster mailboxes in Stanwood, Marysville and Arlington, stealing large amounts of mail.
In some of the thefts, he also disguised himself as a U.S. Postal Service employee and wore U.S. Postal Service clothing, police said.
Detectives said the stolen mail was linked to other fraud-related crimes. According to investigators, the victims’ identities were used to rent U-Hauls, access bank accounts and commit other crimes.
During the arrests, detectives seized a large amount of suspected stolen mail, counterfeit postal keys, forged identification documents and other evidence related to identity theft and fraud, police said.
Detectives also seized more than 432 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail and investigators are pursuing multiple felony charges, including identity theft, forgery, burglary, possession of stolen property, mail theft, vehicle theft, possession of stolen mail and drug-related crimes.
Police said they expect additional criminal charges to be filed in King County as the investigation continues.
