A staff member of the UH Bookstore, a service of Barnes and Noble, confessed to allegedly taking approximately $900 worth of cash and gift cards from mail left at the store’s post office.
The UH Police Department investigated allegations of theft after complaints surfaced concerning mail that did not reach its destination or had money missing.
"Someone reported to us that some cards sent to family members didn’t make it, some that contained cash," UHPD Investigations Officer Russell Lyman said.
The thefts had been reported to UHPD in late May, soon after graduation, when a complainant reported that cards sent through the bookstore did not arrive in their original conditions.
Bookstore General Manager Felix Robinson said that the bookstore, which routinely assists in handling mail, first received a complaint of theft on June 18, and that UHPD took over the investigation.
Assistant Director of the UC Leisure Services William Schwehr was one of the complainants who suspected theft had occurred after sending gifts to family members that contained money through the bookstore.
"I sent two graduation cards, and neither one made it," Schwehr said.
Lyman, who headed the investigation, said that the UHPD cooperated with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify the suspect.
The investigation began on June 27, lasting about a week before tracking down a Wal-Mart gift card that had been used days earlier at two locations. Based on video and photos capturing the sale with the use of the gift card, investigators were able to determine the identity of the suspect.
"We obtained video of the sale and captured pictures, the individual using the cards turned out to be a Barnes and Noble employee," Lyman said.
While mail theft has been known to occur sporadically on campus, Lyman said that this was the first time it has happened in the UC on such a scale.
The suspect was then taken to UHPD on Friday where she confessed that she had taken the money and gift cards. Charges of theft by a public servant will be presented by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office this week.
Robinson said that although security cameras are in place, none covered the area of the suspect’s workspace. The Bookstore will look into adding additional cameras to cover the area, he said, noting that this is the first instance of mail theft in the store’s history.
"Managing theft is about having the right people," Robinson said. "We’re certainly sorry that it happened to our customers."
Robinson said that financial restitution would likely occur during the judicial process.
Mail theft is a federal crime that can be punished with fines and a maximum of five years imprisonment, according to the U.S. Code, Section 1708.
