Washington County Man Accused of Stealing Mail from Several Towns Residents
A Washington County man allegedly stole mail out of mailboxes in several towns and possibly used the information to use the individuals’ identities.
According to Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect is currently being investigated for the thefts of mail out of mailboxes in the Towns of Farmington, Barton and West Bend although that geographic area could expand as the investigation progresses.
The Sheriff’s Office took an 18-year-old rural Campbellsport man into custody early this morning for unauthorized use/possession of an individual’s personal identifying information as a result of a theft of mail investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 4800 block of Beaver Dam Rd in the Town of Barton Tuesday morning at 12:13 AM after the homeowner heard a loud exhaust at the end of the driveway and then saw a gold van back up towards the mailbox.
The suspect removed a cable bill from the mailbox.
At the time of call, we were unable to locate the vehicle as the theft occurred about 45 minutes prior to the time the Sheriff’s Office was notified.
Tuesday afternoon the suspect’s vehicle was again seen by the homeowner and Sheriff’s Deputies were able to subsequently locate the vehicle at an apartment complex in the Town of Barton.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday morning in possession of some of the missing mail.
The Sheriff’s Office is currently in the process of notifying several victims, known to law enforcement, that may be unaware their personal information could have been compromised.
The preliminary investigation also suggests there may be other victims the Sheriff’s Office could have difficulty identifying. The Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the extent of the thefts and the full intentions of the suspect. The investigation is very active at this point. If citizens have a reason to believe they have been victims of mail thefts they are encouraged to contact their primary law enforcement agency.