Kirtland woman accused of stealing mail in Lake

Officials are warning Lake County residents to be aware of mail thieves around the holidays.

A Kirtland woman was indicted this week in a federal court for her alleged role in a group that stole mail in Lake County, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Corey Lauren Whalen, 18, was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting the theft of mail and one count of possessing stolen mail.

Whelan aided others in stealing a package in Painesville on Nov. 27 and a letter in Mentor on Dec. 5, according to the indictment.

“This case was solved when a good neighbor called in, which is what it’s all about, and a lot of cooperation among law enforcement agencies,” said Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap.

Mentor Police Chief Kevin Knight added, “Hopefully the charges send a clear message to those who think they can just go around and steal other people’s property that they worked so hard to get.”

The case remains under investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Mentor police and Painesville police.

“People should be vigilant about collecting their mail and packages, particularly during the holidays,” Herdman said. “Customers are reminded not to send cash through the mail, use a secure mailbox and consider using security cameras.”

However, Tommy Coke, inspector in charge of the Pittsburgh division, said mail theft is still relatively rare locally.

“While mail theft is at a very low rate in the Cleveland area, postal inspectors work aggressively with local agencies to combat any reports of mail theft,” Coke said. “The Postal Service is always a very safe and secure way of conducting commerce.”

Whalen