Community tips lead to felony mail theft arrest in north Harris County

Community tips helped Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies make a felony mail-theft arrest in north Harris County, adding another case to a growing list of thefts that have hit Spring and northwest Harris County. In one recent investigation, deputies recovered about 300 stolen pieces of mail from a U-Haul at a storage facility along the Northwest Freeway.

Two suspects, Stephan Taltan and Curtis Baily, were arrested in that case, and a third suspect had already been identified but not taken into custody. The haul underscored how fast stolen mail can turn into financial trouble for residents, especially when checks and cards are taken before a mailbox owner even realizes something is missing.

Precinct 4 has seen the same pattern before. On Jan. 23, 2024, a joint investigation with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Memorial Villages Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety led to the arrests of Cody Polanco and Tarah Hill. Investigators found methamphetamine, counterfeit keys, stolen mail, debit and credit cards, and checks from locations across the Houston area.

A separate May 2024 case ended with the arrest of 19-year-old Benjamin Williams after a pursuit that stopped at FM 2920 and SH 99. Deputies said they found counterfeit mailbox keys and more than $100,000 in stolen mail checks, a reminder that mail theft in this part of Harris County has gone far beyond a missing letter or two.

The federal response has also reached into apartment complexes and hotels. On Dec. 16, 2024, Precinct 4 referred a mail-theft case from the Spring Trace Seniors apartment complex in Spring to postal inspectors. Two days later, investigators found a suspect’s vehicle at a Houston hotel and seized a firearm, three large trash bags full of mail, Postal Service parcel locker keys, five stolen Postal Service Arrow Key locks and four counterfeit Arrow Keys. Cameron Tyler was arrested on a firearms-related charge, with additional mail-theft charges pending.

Precinct 4 has repeatedly worked with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Memorial Villages Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies in these cases. Officials continue urging residents to report suspicious activity around mailboxes and to contact the Postal Inspection Service if they believe they are victims, because community tips can be the difference between a stolen stack of mail and a felony arrest.