Robert Kujaun Thomas, Mail Theft, California 2023

RIVERSIDE, California

Federal authorities have arrested six Inland Empire residents who are charged in indictments alleging federal crimes related to mail theft. Among the arrested are Robert Kujaun Thomas, 40, of Hemet, who is charged with possessing over 850 pieces of stolen mail belonging to hundreds of victims residing in at least 17 Inland Empire cities.

Thomas was arrested on July 26 and is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. If convicted of the two counts, Thomas faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

The operation, conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), recovered approximately 1,167 pieces of stolen mail. Most of the defendants are charged with using checks and personal information stolen from the mail to commit financial crimes, including bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

“The recent rise in mail theft in the Inland Empire poses a serious problem for the community which relies on the mail for the full range of business and personal matters,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The cases being announced today demonstrate my office’s commitment to combatting this problem, and we will continue to partner with the United States Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement to see that criminals who steal mail in the Inland Empire are punished.”

In addition to Thomas, 10 other defendants were charged in the grand jury indictments. They are:

• Kimberly Ann Hernandez, 34, of Fontana, Julian Tapia, 26, of Colton, and Anthony Garcia Jr., 22, of Fontana, who are charged with possessing approximately 281 pieces of stolen mail and attempting to cash or deposit altered checks totaling more than $9,000.
• Hubert Salvador Salazar Jr., 25, of San Bernardino, who is charged in a four-count indictment with cashing and depositing altered checks stolen from the U.S. Mail – as well as counterfeit checks made with information obtained from stolen mail – into his own checking account. The total value of the fraudulent checks discussed in the indictment is $5,497.

The cases were announced today after Postal Inspectors yesterday arrested two of the defendants. Three of the defendants are already in state custody on unrelated charges, and federal prosecutors will seek to have those three brought into federal court. The USPIS is continuing to search for two fugitives.

“This operation is a fine example of law enforcement partnerships working together to protect the citizens of the Inland Empire from mail theft,” said Inspector in Charge Robert Wemyss. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing and prosecuting individuals that attempt to target America’s mail stream for criminal gain. Mail theft is a federal offense and that means federal prison time. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant in protecting the U.S. Mail with traditional and innovative law enforcement efforts.”

Defendant Information:

• Robert Kujaun Thomas, 40, of Hemet
• Exact Criminal Charges: Possessing more than 850 pieces of stolen mail, possessing stolen credit and debit cards with the intent to commit fraud
• City and State: Hemet, California
• Arrest Date: July 26, 2023
• Sentence: If convicted, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/federal-authorities-target-inland-empire-mail-thieves