Special to the Register
Cooke County —
Cooke County Sheriff’s Department officials have announced two arrests in connection with a string of mail thefts in the Valley View area.
Sheriff Terry Gilbert explained in a statement that Deputy Mark Westbrook cultivated reports from county residents that led to identifying people of interest.
On Jan. 14, deputies Kincy Lloyd and Jeremy Proffer located one of them — a 21-year-old white male suspect and his vehicle — in the Pioneer Valley section of Cooke County.
The man, Gilbert’s statement explained, had an outstanding warrant in Denton County. His vehicle reportedly contained stolen checks in the total of $19,717 from all around North Texas.
Gilbert added that investigator Keith Bartlett assisted in a second investigation that identified a second person. On Friday, county deputies arrested a 27-year-old white male, a resident of southern Cooke County. His arrest was from warrants unrelated to the mail case, but he was revealed to possess stolen U.S. mail from around the county.
“I am not able to identify these persons or comment at this time about these arrests since the investigation is ongoing,” Gilbert said in his statement. “What I can tell you is that I am making sure that the deputies in my office are doing everything they can to stop criminals from victimizing the citizens of Cooke County.”
Gilbert also said he and deputies are now working closely with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to solve mail theft crimes and ensure that any offender caught is prosecuted to the maximum extent of federal law.
“We are continuing the investigation and expect more arrests in the near future,” he said.
To report mail theft or provide more information related to the cases, call the sheriff’s department at (940) 665-3471.
