Bera Urges DOJ and USPIS to Address Rampant Mail Theft in Sacramento County

Washington, D.C. – Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale to address the surge of mail theft and vandalism in Sacramento County neighborhoods. Residents continue to face break-ins of Cluster Box Units (CBUs) and theft of postal keys, leaving many without secure access to their mail.

“For several years, I have worked closely with USPS and USPIS to address the widespread problem of mail theft and vandalism of CBUs,” wrote Representative Ami Bera. “While I appreciate the USPS, USPIS, and OIG responding to my inquiries, mail theft and vandalism continue unabated across the Sacramento region.”

“I urge law enforcement action –– specifically, the formation of a dedicated Task Force that brings together the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice and USPIS, in partnership with local law enforcement. This Task Force must be empowered to investigate and prosecute the ongoing, unrelenting theft of mail and postal keys, and to address the widespread vandalism and destruction of CBUs impacting residents across the Sacramento region,” Bera continued. 

Click here to read the full letter here and below: 

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Chief Postal Inspector Barksdale, 

I am writing to formally request that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) establish a joint Task Force to address the ongoing, rampant, and unrelenting theft of mail and postal keys, as well as the widespread vandalism and destruction of cluster mailboxes (CBUs) impacting communities across the Sacramento region. 

I am aware that the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of California, in coordination with the USPIS Western Field Operations, has successfully investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions in several cases involving mail theft and related crimes. These include recent convictions such as a Sacramento resident indicted for possession of stolen mail and intent to defraud; a Sacramento County man sentenced to over five years in prison for bank fraud and possession of stolen mail and postal keys; and two individuals sentenced for conspiracy, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft tied to postal crimes.

I respectfully urge that your prosecutorial and investigative work be expanded through the formation of a dedicated joint Task Force in partnership with local law enforcement — many of whom have already taken steps in an attempt to halt mail theft. 

For several years, I have worked closely with USPS and USPIS to address the widespread problem of mail theft and vandalism of CBUs. On August 31, 2023, I wrote to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting “a briefing on a long-term solution to resolve the ongoing thefts, vandalism, and limited accessibility for residents to retrieve their mail.” In response, my office received information on the joint initiative Project Safe Delivery and reporting procedures for theft and vandalism. 

On April 11, 2024, I held a virtual townhall to ensure USPS and USPIS officials could directly respond to my constituents who are victims of these crimes. Despite these efforts, mail theft has continued unabated — leaving residents to deal with replacing stolen items, late fees from missed bills, recovering from identity theft, and bearing the costly burden of repairing or replacing damaged CBUs. 

On July 26, 2024, I formally requested that Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb Hull conduct an audit of the USPIS and the USPS. In October 2024, my office was notified that the OIG had begun fieldwork to assess USPS actions to address mail theft in the region. On March 20, 2025, the OIG published its report, Mail Theft Mitigation and Response: Sacramento, CA, which stated, “Our objective was to assess the U.S. Postal Service’s actions taken to mitigate and respond to mail theft at selected delivery units in the Sacramento, CA, area.” 

While I appreciate the USPS, USPIS, and OIG in responding to my inquiries, mail theft and vandalism continue unabated across the Sacramento region. I urge law enforcement action –– specifically, the formation of a dedicated Task Force that brings together the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice and USPIS, in partnership with local law enforcement. This Task Force must be empowered to investigate and prosecute the ongoing, unrelenting theft of mail and postal keys, and to address the widespread vandalism and destruction of CBUs impacting residents across the Sacramento region. 

###