USPIS offering $100K reward for suspect wanted in Near West Side mail thefts
Residents in the West Loop are finding themselves the victims of mail thieves again.
Despite the residents' best efforts to protect themselves, thieves keep coming into buildings with postal keys and stealing.
On surveillance video recently, a man wearing an N95 mask was spotted walking into the lobby of a West Loop condo building. U.S. postal inspectors said the man was not worried about catching a cold.
"When I went back and looked at the tape, they drove up, and two guys got out of the car, walked to our building. One, in middle of walking to our building, put on stocking cap," said a resident, Diana Pulvirenti. "You could see them."
The cameras did not stop them. The duo, one with a stocking cap and the other wearing a hoodie, went right to the mailboxes.
They pulled a postal key and went to town — stealing everything from Pulvirenti's building on Fulton Street.
"The boldness at 10 o'clock in the morning," said Pulvirenti. "They know nothing's going to happen, because it hasn't been happening. Nobody is accountable."
Pulvirenti and her neighbors are fed up, considering this is the time in recent months that postal thieves have targeted their building.
"Something needs to be done, Pulvirenti said.
This week, the U.S. Postal Service put out wanted flyers of the men wanted not just for the thefts from Pulvirenti's West Loop building, but for several mail thefts in recent weeks — stretching all the way to Fulton Market.
"It's multiple buildings that this has been happening," said Diana Pulvirenti's husband, Joseph Pulvirenti, "and my question is, what has the United States Postal Service been doing about this?
Surveillance video from a condo building on Aberdeen Street, also in the West Loop, shows the same pair ransacking another mailroom this month.
Since 2020, CBS News Chicago has reported on ongoing mail thefts, with the crooks using postal arrow keys.
"It was obvious each time they were using the mailbox key to gain entry into the building, we decided to shut off mail coming into the building until this was resolved," said Joseph Pulvirenti.
But residents said the Post Office refused to allow them to pick up any mail — forcing them to stay vulnerable. Meanwhile, despite a $100,000 reward for information leading to the mail thieves' arrest, the Pulvirentis worry about what could happen if the crew gets past the mailboxes.
"If they do access the floors, it's going to be an issue for our residents," said Diana Pulvirenti.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said the investigation into the West Loop area mail thefts is ongoing. But they would not say how far back the crimes go or how many buildings have been impacted.
The USPIS also offered these tips to protect their mail and identity:
- Do not let incoming or outgoing mail sit and accumulate in your mailbox.
- Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you're expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items.
- If you do not receive a check or other valuable mail, contact the issuing party as soon as possible.
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to have a better idea of what mail you can expect delivered to you each day.
- Monitor your financial accounts and credit profiles for any fraudulent activity, even if you are not a victim of mail theft. Early detection is so important! In that vein, consider credit freezes and/or fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax).
The Postal Inspection Service described one suspect in the West Loop area thefts as a Black man in his 30s, with a dark complexion and a stocky build, standing between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10, and appears to wear his hair in dreadlocks.
Inspectors said he is known to accompany another man in his 20s, who they only described as being 5 feet 7, also with a dark complexion and stocky build.
The service is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction.
The public is advised not to take matters into their own hands.
Anyone with information about the suspect and his whereabouts is asked to contact the inspection service at 877-876-2455, say "law enforcement," and use reference number 4315597.
All information will be kept strictly confidential.