April 03, 2025
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Joliet woman seeks answers on missing checks mailed at post office

Police notified of 48 cases related to mail fraud, theft at post office

By Felix Sarver
Isabell Camillo stands at the McDonough Street Post Office. Camillo mailed out four checks that have not cleared and she suspects they were stolen so she filed a police report with Joliet police on Jan. 10, 2023.

Isabell Camillo stands at the McDonough Street Post Office. Camillo mailed out four checks that have not cleared and she suspects they were stolen so she filed a police report with Joliet police on Jan. 10, 2023. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

Since the day after Christmas, Isabell Camillo said she has no idea what happened to the four checks she mailed in one of the outdoor drop boxes that sit outside the post office at 2000 McDonough St., Joliet.

Those mailboxes have been closed to the public since Jan. 20, the same day that Joliet police officers investigated a report of burglary of those boxes.

Camillo, a Joliet resident, said the checks she mailed Dec. 26 never cleared. Those checks were worth a total of $450, she said.

“For a retired person like me, that’s a lot of money,” Camillo said.

After having concerns, Camillo said she visited the post office Jan. 10, to inquire about her mail. She said she was told by an employee that her mail had been stolen and the post office had been having issues with mail theft.

On the same day, Camillo said she then filed a report with the Joliet Police Department. According to a copy of the Jan. 10 report that Camillo provided, her checks have not cleared. She was informed by the post office that its mailboxes were broken into and mail was stolen.

Camillo said she suspects her checks have been stolen, but she has no idea where they ended up.

“That’s the mystery,” she said. “That’s why there’s a police report.”

Isabell Camillo stands at the McDonough Street Post Office. Camillo mailed out four checks that have not cleared and she suspects they were stolen so she filed a police report with Joliet police on Jan. 10, 2023.

Isabell Camillo stands at the McDonough Street Post Office. Camillo mailed out four checks that have not cleared and she suspects they were stolen so she filed a police report with Joliet police on Jan. 10, 2023. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

Since Nov. 1, the Joliet Police Department has been notified of 48 cases that relate to mail fraud or theft at the McDonough Street location, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

“Despite being reported to the Joliet Police Department, these investigations are all handled by the United States Postal Inspection Service,” English said.

Mary Johnson, U.S. Postal Inspection spokeswoman, declined to answer several questions about those cases, including whether the U.S. Postal Service should have notified the public about them when they were first reported Nov. 1.

Johnson said the agency is working with the Joliet Police Department regarding the mail theft investigations.

Out of Service notices are taped on the mail boxes outside the McDonough Street Post Office. Joliet police have investigated mail theft and burglary at the McDonough Street Post Office that is under investigation by U.S. Postal Service.

Out of Service notices are taped on the mail boxes outside the McDonough Street Post Office. Joliet police have investigated mail theft and burglary at the McDonough Street Post Office that is under investigation by U.S. Postal Service. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

The outdoor mailboxes at the McDonough Street post office were taken out of service Jan. 20, according to Tim Norman, U.S. Postal Service spokesman. He did not have a date on when they would be back in service.

Norman said he did not have any further information to share when he was asked about why those boxes were taken out of service, whether the U.S. Postal Service knew before Jan. 20 that mail was being stolen or mailboxes burglarized at the McDonough Street location and whether those boxes should’ve been closed sooner.

Camillo said if the post office knew about people breaking into those mailboxes and stealing mail, it should have put up signs and closed those mailboxes immediately.

English said the police department encourages the public to take precautions to reduce sending or receiving paper checks in the mail.

Johnson has said if a postal customer does fall victim to mail theft, or identity theft as a result of mail theft, they should immediately file a report with local law enforcement and file a report with the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

Johnson said they also should closely monitor their financial accounts and credit profiles to get ahead of any fraudulent activity.

An Out of Service notice is taped on the mail boxes outside the McDonough Street Post Office. Joliet police have investigated mail theft and burglary at the McDonough Street Post Office that is under investigation by U.S. Postal Service.

An Out of Service notice is taped on the mail boxes outside the McDonough Street Post Office. Joliet police have investigated mail theft and burglary at the McDonough Street Post Office that is under investigation by U.S. Postal Service. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)

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