SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – After a months-long investigation, Springfield police arrested Eric Encarnacion-Medina outside the Belmont Avenue Post Office this week.
Surveillance cameras were set up outside the State Street and Belmont Ave. post offices showed the Bronx resident using a key to open mailboxes and stealing the contents. The arrest has people thinking twice about mailing any kind of money.
“It does definitely and anytime I would mail something, not specific to this mailbox, but I would always mail it from inside,” said Ann Harper.
Checks and money orders were being stolen, the recipients’ names changed, and were cashed in fraudulent accounts.
22News spoke with a U.S. Postal Inspector who said in order to open the mailboxes you need a specialized key called an arrow key. Unless you’re are a postal worker, just being in possession of this key is a felony.
