Three individuals were arrested in Billerica, Massachusetts, after being caught with a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Arrow key, which is used to access mailboxes, as part of a series of mailbox thefts in the area.
Billerica police were conducting surveillance on mailboxes along Boston Road on Sunday due to recent thefts. At around 10:45 p.m., officers spotted a white Lexus entering a parking lot and turning off its lights. Two individuals, wearing ski masks, exited the vehicle and headed toward the mailboxes. As officers approached, the suspects fled the scene.
The two suspects, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, both from Lowell, were captured and taken into custody. The driver of the Lexus, 18-year-old Brayden Moran, also from Lowell, was arrested shortly after. Investigators found the USPS Arrow key, several stolen checks, and other evidence at the scene.
The USPS Arrow key, used to unlock various types of mailboxes and outdoor parcel lockers, is critical in the commission of these thefts. Moran faces charges including unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, attempting to break into a depository, and conspiracy. The two teens are charged with receiving stolen property, attempting to break into a depository, and conspiracy.
Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost stated that the arrests are part of ongoing investigations into check washing, a crime in which criminals steal checks, erase the details, and rewrite them with fraudulent information. These crimes have caused significant financial losses in Billerica, reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Billerica Police Department, alongside the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is continuing to investigate the case and similar crimes in surrounding areas, including Nashua, New Hampshire, Dorchester, and Tewksbury.
