Postal Worker, 2 Others Arrested in Credit Card Thefts

A U. S. Postal Service employee who allegedly stole credit cards from the mail has been arrested along with two Lancaster residents who allegedly used the cards to charge goods that were then sold for cash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.

The postal worker, Eric Hamilton, 47, of Lancaster, was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the sheriff’s Antelope Valley station, Sgt. Ron Shreeves said. An acquaintance, Sunny Morris, 23, of Lancaster, was jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail. Morris’ mother, Nancy Reyes, 45, of Lancaster, was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail, Shreeves said.

The suspects were being held on suspicion of a variety of offenses, including receiving stolen property, possession of stolen credit cards and tampering with U. S. mail, Shreeves said. Sheriff’s officials learned of the alleged thefts about two weeks ago from a confidential informant, Shreeves said. Authorities believe that Hamilton is responsible for a series of credit card thefts at the Lancaster post office that federal postal inspectors had been investigating for about a year, he said.

Hamilton was arrested after detectives observed him at the post office Thursday night stealing credit cards from mail and placing them in a post office box registered to Reyes, Shreeves said. Investigators serving search warrants at the suspects’ residences found 11 stolen credit cards, numerous false and altered identification cards and goods valued at $5,000 that were allegedly purchased with the cards, Shreeves said.

Morris and other acquaintances allegedly used the cards until the credit limits were reached and then discarded them. Hamilton allegedly sold the goods and distributed the money among ring members, Shreeves said.

Shreeves said two more arrests were imminent and expected the total value of unauthorized purchases “to increase dramatically as people receive billings for purchases they did not make.”