BALTIMORE — Maryland Congressman Kweisi Mfume is calling for an investigation into the U.S. Postal Service's progress in implementing Project Safe Delivery after continued reports of mail theft in the Baltimore area.
Stephanie Bagley believes she experienced this firsthand when she mailed a holiday card to an employee in January. In March, it was sent back to her in a bag.
"It was this clear bag saying, 'We care. Dear Postal Customer.' But then I noticed that, like with a letter opener, someone had actually opened it," Bagley said.
The greeting card was still inside the envelope, but the $50 gift card was gone. Bagley had mailed it along with several others at the post office on Fayette Street in downtown Baltimore, where she paid for certified mail.
"I just wanted to take those extra steps to make sure it got there. To be honest, the stealing never crossed my mind," Bagley said.
Tracking information shows the card—intended for a Baltimore resident—started at the Baltimore post office on January 2, arrived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on February 12, then went back to Baltimore on March 6 when it was delivered back to Bagley.
A USPS spokesperson said the mail was returned because the address was wrong. As for the missing gift card, he wrote in an email to WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii:
"Our automated letter machinery runs at high speeds with tight bends and turns. As a result, the Postal Service discourages rigid items from being placed in letter envelopes as they may occasionally be ejected during processing."
When asked if it's common for envelopes with ejected items to have a clean cut across the bottom, the spokesperson said: "Yes, the gift card could have been ejected while traveling through our automated letter processing machinery. However, if believed to be a criminal matter, the customer should report the incident. I encourage they keep all of the envelope and any remaining contents if needed for investigation."
This is just one of many suspected thefts WMAR-2 News has highlighted.
READ MORE: Checks and money orders stolen, altered and cashed quickly after being mailed at local post offices
Customers have reported mailing checks or money orders at local post offices only to learn they'd been stolen, washed, rewritten, and cashed by someone else.
RELATED: Baltimore-area mail theft: Altered checks and stolen money orders plague multiple post offices
"That's not the service that we deserve, that we pay for, and so somebody needs to hold people accountable," Bagley said.
Rep. Mfume agrees: "It's clearly a violation of the law. It's clearly deliberate, and unfortunately, many times, if not most times, there's very little recourse."
The Maryland Congressman has been working to restore trust in the Postal Service. During the pandemic, he pushed for timely delivery, proposed legislation to better protect letter carriers, and held hearings on postal service thefts that eventually led to the development of Project Safe Delivery—an initiative by USPS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to reduce letter carrier robberies and mail theft.
"I have been meeting with the Postal Police here in my office, who are alarmed about what's happening, particularly to cluster boxes and criminals that are able to get what's known as the arrow key that allows you access," Mfume said.
On Friday, he sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting an update on the Postal Service's progress in implementing the project, including installing 49,000 electronic locks requiring two-factor authentication and how the Postal Service and USPIS are measuring its progress. And he asked that the GAO conduct an examination of the current state of postal-related crimes. He also wants new legislation to streamline who goes after these criminals and how to keep them from doing it again.
"We need one process, one mechanism and then one oversight capability," Mfume said. "We're going to get it fixed. That's for sure. The problem is how much damage will occur in the meantime."
In addition to the investigation by the Government Accountability Office, Congressman Mfume wants the USPS Office of the Inspector General to do an audit on mail thefts in the Baltimore area. And he wants local law enforcement to play a bigger role.
READ MORE: Congressman questions USPS after reports of stolen checks and money orders
Last month, Congressman Johnny Olszewski (D-Maryland) also sent a letter to the Baltimore Postmaster requesting information on the scope of mail theft in the Baltimore Area. His office has not yet received a response.
How to File Complaints with Postal and Law Enforcement Agencies
- United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS): Report mail theft/fraud at uspis.gov/report or call 1-877-876-2455; investigates crimes involving mail, postal employees, or postal property.
- USPS Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG): Report internal postal misconduct at uspsoig.gov/hotline or call 1-888-USPS-OIG; handles employee misconduct and postal contractor fraud.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (FBI IC3): Report internet-enabled crimes at ic3.gov; handles online fraud, phishing scams, and refers cases to appropriate agencies.
- Contact Congressman Kweisi Mfume's Office: mfume.house.gov/contact
- Contact Congressman Johnny Olszewski's Office: https://olszewski.house.gov/contact
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