Man accused of stealing packages, forging checks in Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A U.S. Postal Service drop box in Gwinnett County keeps turning up empty, but police said a package thief isn't breaking in -- he's using a key.

Surveillance video captured the suspect in action on Berkley Road in Duluth last month.

In the video, the suspect is seen getting out of the passenger side of a car, and what looks like an opened package wrapper falls out of the car.

In another part of the video, the suspect is seen unlocking the mailbox with a key.

“In checking with the Postal Service, he is not an employee. They don't recognize him. Somehow, this person has gotten a key,” said Wilbert Rundles, with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Video shows him back again another night.

On Wednesday morning, before Channel 2's Tony Thomas could warn her of the theft investigations, Charlotte Ussery put two letters in the Postal Service mailbox.

That’s when Thomas told her what was going on.

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“I knew I was taking a risk. Are my two letters going to get stolen?” Ussery asked.

Chances are no. The letters are likely safe, but Duluth police say over the past 18 months, there has been a string of reported thefts from these blue boxes just outside the McClure Bridge Road Post Office. Many resulted in check fraud.

“They just keep coming in, trickling in. Just one last night came through. Already we have had three for January,” Duluth police Officer Ted Sadowski said.

Duluth police are so frustrated they put an alert out on social media and noted there are no cameras on the postal property that could help catch the thief.

Police believe the suspect had official USPS bins in the trunk of his car.

One of the stolen packages had someone's business checks inside. Police said the checks were altered, forged and cashed for a few thousand dollars.

Authorities are working to see if other mailboxes in the area have been targeted.

Cox Media Group