Two South Florida men are facing federal mail theft charges after surveillance video, widely distributed to the public, led to their identification and arrest.
According to the charging complaint and indictment, Wilfredo Rivero, 31, was first observed on April 26 forcibly opening a cluster of mailboxes at an apartment complex in Sunrise, Florida. Surveillance footage captured Rivero examining and removing mail from the boxes. Just two days later, on April 28, Rivero returned to the same complex, this time accompanied by Fernando Bernabe Rodriguez, 28. Both men were seen on video prying open another set of mailboxes and taking mail.
The breakthrough in the investigation came on May 9, when CBS News Miami aired a news story featuring the April 28 surveillance video, seeking public assistance in identifying the then-unknown suspects. Following the broadcast, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) national hotline received multiple tips that helped investigators identify Rivero and Rodriguez.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne of the Southern District of Florida and acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the USPIS jointly announced the charges.
The USPIS led the investigation, crediting “substantial assistance from the public” for the positive identification of the suspects. The Sunrise Police Department and Hialeah Police Department also provided support to the federal inquiry.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Killoran is prosecuting the case.
