2 men face felony charges after alleged large-scale mail theft in Austin
Two men are facing felony charges after their alleged involvement in the theft of mail from more than 50 different addresses, according to the affidavits for their arrests.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two men are facing felony charges after their alleged involvement in the theft of mail from more than 50 different addresses, according to the affidavits for their arrests.
Raul Valdez, 42, and Cesar Ortiz, 46, were both charged with first-degree felony mail theft and fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, a second-degree felony, according to court records.
An attorney for Ortiz told KXAN it was too early in the process to comment and they may have a response in four to six weeks. KXAN reached out to an attorney representing Valdez. This story will be updated when we receive a response.
According to the affidavits, an Austin Police Department officer found evidence of the stolen mail while he was patrolling north central Austin and spotted a U-Haul van at an illegal gambling establishment that is known for the use/sale of illegal narcotics, firearm possession, and a place where stolen items are sold.
Detectives detained Valdez and Ortiz and searched the van, in which they found a large trash bag containing mail, two separate keys with a tag stating "property of USPS," 16 separate pieces of personal identifying information, and items that are typically used in thefts or burglaries, plus nearly 16 grams of codeine pills, according to the affidavit.
A witness also told police that both Valdez and Ortiz, and another man, were "serial mail thieves" and break into mailboxes and steal mail, the affidavit noted. It is not clear if the third man mentioned was detained or charged in connection with this incident.
The affidavit said there were a total of more than 50 different addresses that the mail was stolen from, including an apartment located at 8900 North Interstate 35, where police found 280 mailboxes forcibly pried open, and an apartment located at 2104 East Anderson Lane where officers found 40 mailboxes had been forcibly removed from the wall.
Approximately 750 pieces of mail were found to have been stolen, affecting more than 50 different victims, which makes the mail theft charge a first-degree felony, according to the affidavit.
During the search of the van, police found bags containing personal identifying information including the following:
- Several different people's social security or social security replacement cards
- State of Texas vital records with name and date of birth
- Texas driver's licenses
- Check books with names and addresses
- Multiple health insurance cards
- Bank cards
Because Valdez and Ortiz were found in possession of 16 different items that had personal identifying information, they were charged with fraudulent use or possession of personal identifying information, according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, stolen mail and identifying information have "high criminal value" and are often used to commit identity theft, fraud, and other financial crimes. Victims' identities are often used to rent or purchase vehicles, open credit lines, rent apartments, and other crimes, the affidavit noted.