ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said mail theft is an issue in Florida and their county is no exception.
Authorities urge neighborhoods to remain vigilant. For one local-family owned business, they had to change how they deliver their mail because money was not making it to their vendors. Business had to stop until payments were met. Angela Sowers wants to know who is stealing her company's mail.
It is a trend she has noticed in the past couple of weeks. Sowers operates an HVAC contracting business that's been around since 2009. Essentially, her company handles tens of thousands of dollars. They have never had a problem getting money to vendors until these last couple of weeks. Thus, making it difficult to resolve the issue.
"We do our due diligence to pay our vendors on time, and then we're faced with vendors not receiving payments," Sowers explained.
Who ever was stealing mail sent to her company, Sowers said they tried to cash it in. To Sowers, this kind of theft disrupts more than her business.
It also impacts people's livelihoods.
"A hotel AC's out and we can't pick up equipment because they say we haven't received your check," Sowers said. "We would appreciate it if you work, kindly, for your own money."
Deputies offered tips to for residents to make sure their mail gets from point A to point B. They said one's mail should not sit in a mailbox for a long period of time. Authorities suggests delivering the sensitive mail to a mailbox processing center. Plus, one should keep an eye on their bank account in case of any changes. For Sowers, she just wants this to stop, so she can get back to business. For now, they changed how they deliver money to vendors.
Stealing mail is a federal crime, which means prison time if convicted.