Johny Mixayboua, Mail Theft, Washington 2023

Seattle Mail Thief Sentenced to 41 Months

Seattle, WA - A man who committed a series of mail vehicle and mail key thefts was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 41 months in prison for theft of government property, mail theft, illegal transactions on access devices, and illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Johny Mixayboua, 27, committed a string of mail theft incidents involving stolen postal vehicles, stolen postal keys, mail theft and associated crimes.

The postal service had to halt deliveries in the zip code 98118 for about a week while investigators worked to track down and arrest Mixayboua. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Jones said, “You had opportunities to look at your past and look at your future. You have failed to take advantage of the opportunities provided along the way to change your future…As you grow and mature, you will see all the years wasted engaged in criminal activity.”

“Mr. Mixayboua’s thefts caused widespread hardship – especially for the elderly and disabled who were suddenly forced to line up at the post office to get their mail,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The theft of checks and credit cards caused harm to those hit with fraudulent charges. But even those who did not suffer theft were impacted. Individuals who relied on the mail for medication, medical supplies, food, and financial documents, were asked to physically come into the post office to pick up their mail because they had to shut down service due to the defendant’s actions.”

“Mail theft and identity theft remains a plague in our communities. Mixayboua’s thefts victimized numerous U.S. Postal Service customers throughout the Seattle area, but through our partnerships with local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we were able to shut down this prolific mail thief,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our commitment to ensure the U.S. mail remains safe and secure for all members of our community.”

According to records in the case, on December 28, 2022, a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was stolen from the 6300 block of South Bangor Street in Seattle. In the vehicle was a postal key that is used to access the cluster mailbox units in the 98178 zip code. The key allows the postal worker to open the back of the cluster box to deliver mail to multiple households. Since the theft of the vehicle and postal key, there had been numerous reports of cluster boxes in zip code 98178 being opened and mail stolen.

Working with neighbors, the Postal Inspection Service was able to get door camera footage showing the person accessing the postal boxes. Neighbors reported credit cards being stolen and attempts being made to use them. Inspectors were able to review images from when the credit card attempts occurred and ultimately identified Mixayboua as the person stealing the mail and attempting to use the stolen credit cards.

Additionally, local law enforcement determined that vehicles used in a number of the mail theft incidents were reported stolen.

On January 17, 2023, two more Postal Service vehicles were stolen. One in the 3000 block of Beach Drive SW and a second one in the 3600 block of 57th SW. Both are in zip code 98116. Using doorbell camera footage from the block where one of the vehicles was recovered, investigators saw Mixayboua removing mail and parcels from the stolen postal vehicle and putting them in another vehicle. Again, law enforcement traced credit cards stolen from the mail and obtained surveillance footage that appears to show Mixayboua attempting to make purchases with the credit cards.

On January 30, 2023, a fourth postal vehicle was stolen – this time from the 2000 block of S. Columbian Way in Seattle. On March 28, 2023, a fifth postal vehicle was stolen from the 5700 block of S. 129th Ave. One of the people associated with the theft matched the description of Mixayboua. In late January and February, Johny Mixayboua was arrested based on evidence collected from the surveillance footage.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/mail-thief-who-stole-postal-vehicles-and-mailbox-keys-sentenced-3-years-prison