Senator Reverend Warnock sent a letter to Gary Barksdale, the Chief Postal Inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, urging him prioritize investigations into allegations of check washing and mail theft in the Atlanta area

According to a March 21, 2022 report by WGCL CBS46, multiple Atlanta residents have had their checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. These checks were then altered and cashed, costing Georgians over $3,000

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I am extremely concerned that bad actors are stealing from hardworking Georgia families and may be doing so through vulnerabilities within USPS”

A staunch advocate for Georgia consumers, Senator Warnock is asking the USPS for a full briefing on their work to address and prevent future criminal activity

ICYMI from CBS46: GA senator demanding action over post office problems exposed by CBS46

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock urged Gary Barksdale, the Chief Postal Inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to prioritize any investigations into allegations of check washing and mail theft in the Atlanta area. According to a March 21, 2022 report by CBS46, multiple Atlanta residents have had their checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. These checks were then altered and cashed, costing these Georgians over $3,000. A staunch advocate for Georgia consumers, Senator Warnock’s letter asks the USPS to give him a full briefing on their work to address and prevent future criminal activity.

“I am extremely concerned that bad actors are stealing from hardworking Georgia families and may be doing so through vulnerabilities within USPS,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I write to request that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service prioritize any investigations into allegations of check washing and mail theft in the Atlanta area and to provide a full briefing to me and my staff on your work to address and prevent illegal activity.”

Senator Warnock has long pushed for the USPS to more effectively at handle the needs of Georgians, including by bolstering the transparency and accountability of the Service, and pushed for the passage of the Postal Service Reform Act, a bill that earned bipartisan support, which will benefit all Georgians, especially seniors, voters, and workers.

The letter can be found HERE and read in full below: 

Dear Chief Barksdale: 

I write today to draw your attention to recent reporting of check washing and mail theft in the Atlanta area. According to a March 21, 2022 report by CBS46, multiple Atlanta residents have had their checks stolen from U.S. Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. These checks were then altered and cashed, costing these Georgians over $3,000. This reporting also described how one resident had her passport stolen from an envelope that she dropped off inside the Duluth Post Office. And these are only the cases that have been publicly reported so far.

I am extremely concerned that bad actors are stealing from hardworking Georgia families and may be doing so through vulnerabilities within USPS. I write to request that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service prioritize any investigations into allegations of check washing and mail theft in the Atlanta area and to provide a full briefing to me and my staff on your work to address and prevent illegal activity. To that end, I also ask that you provide a response to the following questions by August 12, 2022: 

1. How many complaints of check washing or mail theft has the USPS received surrounding the Atlanta metro area since the COVID-19 pandemic began?
   1. Does this number represent an increase from previous years?
2. How many of these complaints have resulted in investigations
   1. How many of these investigations are currently open?
   2. How many have been closed?
3. How many arrests, if any, have been made as a result of these complaints?
4. What steps is USPS taking to prevent mail theft and check-washing going forward?

Sincerely,

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