Mail stolen from drop-off box in Kingston

One Poulsbo man recently found out even mail inside Post Office drop-off boxes aren’t safe from burglars.

After receiving late notices for bills John Tullis, 52, knew he sent checks for, a little investigating of his own determined the drop-off box in front of Kingston’s Albertsons was burglarized.

Not only was Tullis mailed late statements for unreceived payments, his bank records showed someone had attempted to cash a check — a check he placed inside the blue drop-off box at that location.

Julia Rutzer, Kingston's postmaster said the burglary occurred Oct. 8.

Little information has been released about the burglary as the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is continuing an investigation to a string of burglaries that targeted multiple mail drop-off boxes in other counties as well.

Tullis said he is upset that the public wasn't notified.

“You’d think the day they discovered the lock cut off they’d tell us so we could think about canceling our accounts,” he said. “(Mail) had all the information on our bank accounts, credit cards and billing info. It’s pretty serious and I’m not sure why they’re not letting the community know.”

Rutzer and Scott Wilson, media relations officer for Kitsap County Sheriffs Office, said all criminal investigations and questions regarding U.S. mail are directed to USPIS.

This is part of the reason why Rutzer said the public hasn’t received a public notice yet about the burglary.

“Being that inspectors are the investigators and are still investigating it, I can’t do anything to interfere with that,”Rutzer said, adding anything she could say about the burglary could impede the investigation. “It’s a criminal investigation with privileged knowledge that I don’t even have. When they feel it’s appropriate to notify the public I’m sure they will notify me.”

So far Rutzer hasn’t heard many complaints other than Tullis’ regarding unreceived payments or overdue bills.

“When payments don’t start arriving we expect to hear from more people,” she said.

Kimali Holloman, public relations personnel for USPIS, said the investigation is still ongoing. No arrests have been made and investigators are trying to narrow down the time frame and how many drop off boxes were targeted, she said.

Follow up phone calls to Holloman were not returned before press time.

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