WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today introduced the Mail Integrity and Inspector General Act, legislation that would strengthen the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s capacity to investigate postal employee misconduct, mail theft, check fraud, and related financial crimes.
“Virginians deserve to trust our mail system. Families should be able to put a check or a personal document in the mail without worrying that it will be stolen and used to commit fraud,” said Vindman. “Our local law enforcement officers are doing everything they can, but they simply do not have the capacity to keep up with the growing number of cases. This bill will make sure our federal investigators have the personnel, training, and resources they need to do their jobs.”
“I support the need to staff this division of Special Agents and multiply these agent positions in an effort to better protect the citizens of the Commonwealth from mail frauds such as the cases that Investigator Oakerson has been tasked with working,” said Town of Orange Chief of Police Rebecca Nelson. “I also support the creation of legislation allowing Postal Inspectors to investigate postal employees and contractors associated with the mail. The thefts that are occurring in the sorting facilities are costing the citizens of the Commonwealth a great deal of money.”
The bill comes in response to growing concerns from local law enforcement, including detectives with the Town of Orange Police Department, who have reported a significant increase in mail theft and the check fraud that often follows. Orange County currently has approximately 50 open mail fraud cases, creating a substantial burden for local investigators who do not have the resources or personnel to investigate every case.
The Mail Integrity and Inspector General Act would:
- Increase investigative staffing at the USPS Office of Inspector General to keep pace with rising postal crime and growing caseloads;
- Strengthen recruitment and retention efforts for Special Agents responsible for investigating crimes involving postal employees;
- Provide critical resources, including training and equipment, to support federal investigators;
- Improve accountability and oversight through regular workforce assessments and reporting to Congress.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Postal Police Officers Association and the Town of Orange Police Department.
BACKGROUND
In Virginia, only three Office of Inspector General Special Agents currently cover the entire state, including multiple major sorting facilities operating around the clock and employing thousands of workers.
The problem extends well beyond Virginia. Communities across the country — including in New York, California, North Carolina, Maryland, and Illinois — are experiencing increased mail theft, check washing, and fraud targeting Americans’ personal and financial information. Nationally, reported mail theft-related check fraud has resulted in more than $688 million in losses.
Max Steele: The bill does not say external mail theft has been “squashed.” And if you’re going to lecture people, at least get the word right: quashed — you moron. The bill says mail theft and check fraud are growing problems, local investigators are overwhelmed, and the Office of Inspector General needs more agents to investigate crimes involving postal employees and contractors. The release says three OIG agents cover all of Virginia, including major sorting facilities operating around the clock. That’s not a declaration of victory. It’s an admission that the workload is bigger than the current staffing can handle.
And since you’re suddenly an expert on Postal Police patrols, here’s the part you keep dodging: there aren’t enough Postal Police Officers to patrol adequately on postal property or off it. USPIS gutted the Postal Police Force to bankroll its own excesses. You can’t slash the force, restrict what officers are allowed to do, and then whine that they haven’t done the job. That’s not insight. It’s blaming employees for the USPIS postal police staffing failure.
Obviously, more OIG investigators for internal theft won’t make carrier robberies, collection-box thefts, or crimes on the routes disappear. Anyone who thinks internal mail theft cancels out external mail theft is stupid. Sorry, calling you stupid is insulting to stupid people. I take it back.
And if you’re so eager to lecture about performance, maybe explain what the Inspection Service is doing with the inspectors it already has. We all know the answer — wasting USPS money.
Here is thee actual problem: too few postal police officers to patrol, Inspectors doing nothing for decades, and too many people like you more interested in defending the indefensible than confronting the failure that is the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
You must have made a great Postal Inspector.
So the new bill & news article is quietly saying the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has squashed the External Mail Theft issue and the real problem is with the employees at the sorting plants/P&DC’s? I thought the Postal Police Officers Association (AKA Frank the Tank) complained they needed to patrol off USPS property to solve the mail theft epidemic. Apparently the Postal Police are not “patrolling” enough on USPS property to stop internal thefts. Postal Police Officers Association President Frank the Tank sprues numerous derogatory “opinion” oped’s about the USPIS (which he used to be apart of) but he supports a bill that expands the Postal Office Of Inspector General which is not apart of the USPIS. Frank get your people to patrol more in the processing plants and solve the mail theft issue and stop degrading your old agency, if anything get behind a bill that would provide more support to the USPIS so they can get more Inspectors…