Dallas residents Onetta Lashuan McDaniel, 35, Brandon Michael Wickware, 30, and Curtis Edward Freeman, 27, are facing federal charges after a grand jury indicted them on multiple counts of possessing stolen mail. The arrests mark the culmination of a targeted investigation into a string of mailbox burglaries across Uptown and Downtown Dallas apartment complexes.
McDaniel and Wickware are each charged with three counts of possessing stolen mail, while Freeman faces one count. The indictment details that on May 26, 2016, McDaniel and Wickware were in possession of Chase Bank personal checks and a Texas License to Carry a Handgun identification card, both stolen from residential mail receptacles. On November 17, McDaniel allegedly possessed a Kohl’s credit card taken from the mail. Days later, on November 22, 2016, Wickware and Freeman were caught with a stolen Texas Department of Public Safety first class letter.
Video evidence presented at detention hearings showed McDaniel breaking into six to eight panel mailboxes at apartment complexes in the Uptown area. Postal inspectors also tracked Wickware and Freeman as they burglarized mailboxes in both Uptown and Downtown Dallas. When confronted, the two attempted to flee—and tossed stolen mail from their vehicle onto the roadway in a desperate bid to ditch evidence.
Following a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney ordered Wickware held in federal custody pending trial. McDaniel and Freeman remain on bond under strict conditions. A trial date has been set for February 13, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.
“The arrest of McDaniel, Freeman and Wickware underscores the commitment of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to ensure the public’s trust in the Postal Service, its brand and the U.S. mail,” said Ralph A. Key, Acting Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division. He praised the investigators and prosecutors for their relentless work on the case.
An indictment is not a conviction—each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, if convicted on any count, they face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine per charge. The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with support from the Dallas Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Bray is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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