Three people, including 36-year-old Justin Tate, have been arrested in connection with a series of post office break-ins across Puget Sound last year.
Tate, a resident of Tacoma, appeared in federal court on Nov. 26 facing charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Authorities say he was the alleged leader of a trio that targeted eight separate post offices across Kitsap, Thurston, Pierce, King, and Island Counties between July 4 and July 31, 2024, including the Olalla Post Office.
The indictment alleges that Tate, along with 58-year-old Gregory Foster of Port Orchard and 37-year-old Paula Gamboa of Federal Way, wore masks, disabled cameras, and forced entry through doors and windows to steal mail, cash, money orders, and stamps worth $3,000. Tate reportedly used stolen identities and financial documents to carry out $23,700 in illegal transactions, including $13,000 in fraudulent checks and $7,200 on a stolen debit card.
Tate faces two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for identity theft to run consecutive to any other sentence. Foster and Gamboa have also appeared in court on related charges.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Cantore.
