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Mailboxes at Gretna post office taped shut after more than $200k in checks, packages stolen

"There's clearly a problem with the leadership at that postal service."

GRETNA, La. — Local and federal authorities are now investigating a series of mail thefts right out of the mailboxes in front of the main post office in Gretna.

Tuesday, those blue mailboxes were taped shut.

Some of the letters, bills and packages deposited in the boxes were never delivered.

"The problem is that we have an issue here and people are stealing the mail," said Ashley Sauls who had four packages stolen.

She gave the packages to a postal worker who was emptying the mailboxes.

"I gave them to her and I went off," Sauls said. "A couple of days went by and my customer said 'where's my packages, I never received them.'"

Thu Nguyen said she received a letter from a postal inspector notifying her that some of the mail she put in the mailboxes were found in a nearby dumpster.

"I don't remember I had a check in there or not," Nguyen said. "I don't know yet. I have to contact my bank. It makes me mad, sir."

Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson confirms his department started investigating thefts at the post office in late December.

He said so far, 40 people had more than $200,000 worth of checks stolen out of the mailboxes there.

"We found that in some cases the checks were washed where the name and the amounts were changed, deposited or cashed in other accounts," Lawson said. "We don't know if we are going to see more victims and we think we will see more incidents that are out there."

Chief Lawson also said other checks and bills mailed from the Gretna Post Office never arrived at their destination.

"It's obvious, we think someone had a key to the box," Lawson said. "They had no record-keeping system to know who had a key to get into the box."

The Gretna Police Department has now referred it's mail theft cases to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Department of Homeland Security because of the dollar value of the crimes and the magnitude of the problem.

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Postal customers like Cary Comarada aren't happy.

"I put checks and credit card statements and all those other kinds of things in that mailbox," Camarada said. "Yeah, it's very concerning."

Postal Inspectors are aware of the mail theft incidents at the Gretna Post Office and are currently investigating.

"We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by customers living in the Gretna community," a USPS spokeswoman said in a prepared release. "The Postal Service is committed to making continuing improvements in delivery service."

Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant said the post office has a new postmaster and changes are underway.

"There's clearly a problem with the leadership at that postal service," Constant said. "We pride ourselves in the service we provide at every level of our government. We expect that from the federal government as well."

If your mail is missing or stolen you can report it to postal inspectors at 877-876-2455 or online at www.uspis.gov

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