SEATTLE — The suspect in a series of mail vehicle and key thefts was arrested Wednesday on a federal complaint.
Johny Mixayboua, 27, is accused of a number of crimes related to mail theft, including stolen postal vehicles and keys, mail theft and associated crimes such as identity theft.
Per court documents, a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was stolen from the 6300 block of South Bangor Street in Seattle on Dec. 28, 2022. In the vehicle was a postal key used to access cluster mailboxes in the 98178 zip code in Skyway. Since the theft of the vehicle and the key, numerous reports of cluster boxes in that zip code being opened and mail being stolen have been filed.
Neighbors reported credit cards being stolen and attempts being made to use them, and inspectors ultimately reviewed images from door camera footage and identified Mixayboua as the suspect.
On Jan. 17, two more Postal Service vehicles were stolen, one in the 3000 block of Beach Drive SW and a second in the 3600 block of 57th Street SW. Using door camera footage from where one of the vehicles was recovered, investigators allegedly saw Mixayboua removing mail and parcels and putting them into another vehicle. Law enforcement also traced credit cards stolen from the mail to Mixayboua and found footage appearing to show the suspect attempting to make purchases with the cards.
Between January and April, more postal vehicles were stolen in Seattle and cluster boxes were opened as far away as Snoqualmie, with descriptions and surveillance footage being linked to Mixayboua.
The postal service halted deliveries in zip code 98118 in south Seattle for about a week while investigators worked to track down and arrest Mixayboua. During the pause, residents picked up their mail from the Columbia Carrier Annex, facing long lines to get their items.
Mixayboua is charged with mail theft and possession of stolen mail. During a court appearance Wednesday, Mixayboua was remanded to custody. A detention hearing was set for May 31.