Man suspected of multiple USPS vehicle thefts and mail theft indicted
SEATTLE - A man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he stole several U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicles and used postal keys to steal mail and credit cards across Puget Sound.
According to investigators, 27-year-old Johny Mixaboua allegedly stole a USPS truck near the Rainier View neighborhood in Seattle. Inside that truck was a key that allows the postal worker to deliver mail to multiple households and apartments.
When the truck was stolen in December 2022, residents in the 98178 zipcode reported having their mail stolen or opened. The 98178 zip code is the same zipcode where the truck was stolen from, and it covers parts of southeast Seattle, parts of Bryn Mawr-Skyway and parts of Renton and Tukwila.
Neighbors reported that their credit cards had been stolen out of the mail and that there had been attempts to use them. The U.S. Attorney's Office said surveillance footage showed Mixaybou stealing the mail and trying to use the stolen credit cards at various stores.
Additional mail truck thefts were reported in January of 2023, with one near Alki Beach and on in West Seattle on Jan. 17, 2023. Home surveillance footage showed Mixaybou removing mail from the stolen truck and putting it in another vehicle, according to investigators. The video also showed him allegedly making purchases at Target with the stolen cards.
On Jan. 30, 2023, a fourth postal vehicle was stolen – this time from the 2000 block of S. Columbian Way in Seattle.
On March 28, 2023, a fifth postal vehicle was stolen from the 5700 block of S. 129th Ave. in Tukwila One of the people associated with the theft matches a description of Mixayboua, investigators said.
Throughout April, mail thefts continued from as far north as Lake Forest Park and as far south as southeast Seattle.
The postal service halted deliveries in zip code 98118 for about a week while investigators worked to track down and arrest Mixayboua.
Again in these thefts, Mixayboua allegedly
Mixayboua has been charged with:
- Three counts of theft of government property
- Unlawful possession of a postal key
- Mail theft
- Possession of stolen mail
- Illegal transactions with a credit or debit card
- Unlawful possession of a firearm
- Unlawful possession of ammunition
All nine of those charges are federal felonies.
When he was arrested, law enforcement found a gun that he had thrown in the bushes while attempting to run away and ammo in the vehicle he was living in, investigators said. This led to the unlawful possession charges. Mixayboua is a convicted felon and is not allowed to possess a firearm.
He could face up to 15 years in prison for certain charges if found guilty.