Bail set at $100,000 for suspect accused of 'fishing' more than $20,000 worth of checks from U.S. mailboxes

 

MILTON - Bail was set in Pierce County court at $100,000 for a suspect accused of stealing checks from U.S. mailboxes. Postal Inspectors and Milton Police arrested Daniel Anderson Thursday afternoon. Officers say he ran from Inspectors and there was a brief chase. Milton Police located Anderson soon after he ran and arrested him. He was taken to the hospital because he was suffering from shortness of breath.

WANTED IN PIERCE COUNTY --
Caught on camera: A crook fishing at a mailbox in Pierce County.

Check out the video below where U.S. Postal Inspectors say Daniel Anderson rolls up to a blue collection box and immediately casts out some type of fishing line or other type of wire string with a device attached to it that's sticky with something and then one by one for the next several minutes, he pulls out mail.

"Daniel has racked up a substantial amount of loss, approximately $23,000 in cashed checks, from stealing mail from blue collection boxes using a technique we refer to as 'fishing' where he throws a device inside the box and pulls the mail out and that's a problem, you know you're mail should be safe in a blue collection box,” says U.S. Postal Inspector Jeremy Leder. “The victims of mail theft go through the same emotion as when their car is broken into, or your house is burglarized, even more so because the mail is supposed to be very secure and private. We need to get him off the street. I have no doubt he's continuing to steal mail while he's out, so we're looking for him and we'll get him, you know, but hopefully the public knows where he's at and can help us out."

Postal Inspectors say Anderson is known to ‘hotel hop’ in the Edgewood and Fife areas of Pierce County.

He's 31 years old, 5’8” and weighs 165 pounds.

Postal Inspectors say the surveillance photo of him is from an ATM where he cashed a check he fished from a mailbox.

If you spot him by a big blue collection box, or know where he's hiding tonight, call an anonymous tip into:
CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS

You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest.