Police Warn Residents Over Recent Mail Thefts

Officials with the Bloomfield Township Police Department recently warned residents not to use their home mailboxes for paying bills due to a persistent problem with outgoing mail thefts.

"Due to the recent increase in residential mail theft, resulting in eventual check fraud, the Bloomfield Township Police would like to encourage their residents to drop any mail containing checks into a public mailbox," a warning on the department's Facebook page reads. 

The warning followed another report of stolen mail from a township residence, at least the sixth similar incident since March.

A resident in the 4000 block of Coachmaker told police on Dec. 11 that someone stole his mail that included checks used to pay utility bills, reports said. The man's bank contacted him after someone tried to cash the checks, which were tampered with in a way that changed the amounts and the recipients. The suspect left the bank and authorities are working with employees to try and identify them, according to reports.

The department issued a similar warning in June after two separate investigations where residents reported their personal checks were stolen and altered.

Police recently arrested Timothy Borrie, 29, after he allegedly stole mail from several homes in Bloomfield Township. He remains at the Oakland County Jail on counts of larceny and driving with a suspended license, pending a preliminary hearing. It is unclear if he is connected to the incident reported on Coachmaker.