Last Friday, Irvine police officers received an alert from a license plate reader about a mail theft suspect driving near Jeffrey Road and Roosevelt, according to the Irvine Police Department.
The officers located the vehicle, stopped it, and spoke with the two occupants. Upon searching the car, officers found a large amount of mail stored in a trash bag. The mail was linked to about 50 different addresses across Irvine.
Following up with several victims, police confirmed that their mail had indeed been stolen.
Tristan Quan Le, 54, of Anaheim, and Terri Thuy Vellpradit, 50, of Garden Grove, were arrested and transported to Orange County Jail on charges of mail theft and conspiracy.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for Informed Delivery through the U.S. Postal Service to monitor their mail.
Under California law, mail theft (Penal Code § 530.5(e)) is typically a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and fines up to $1,000, with possible probation. However, if the stolen mail’s value exceeds $950 or if suspects have prior convictions, grand theft or identity theft charges may apply, potentially resulting in up to 3 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Conspiracy charges (Penal Code § 182) carry penalties matching the severity of the planned crime, with possible jail time up to 3 years and fines up to $10,000.
If federal authorities become involved, mail theft penalties can increase to as much as 5 years in federal prison under Title 18 U.S. Code § 1708.
