ALLEGHANY COUNTY, VA (LOOTPRESS) – Two West Virginia residents have been charged after authorities say they stole mail and packages from dozens of homes across the Alleghany Highlands, following a rise in complaints from citizens on social media and to law enforcement.
According to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia, deputies arrested Kathleen Marie Davis, 22, and Corey Shane Martin, 23, both from Alderson, West Virginia, after they were found allegedly removing mail from roadside mailboxes in western Alleghany County.
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Investigators say the pair admitted to stealing mail for at least two weeks.
They reportedly told officers that “times were tough” and they decided to take property that did not belong to them.
The suspects were located around 2 a.m. on Dec. 10 after off-duty Alleghany County Lieutenant Doug Altizer spotted a white sedan with black rims near his mailbox and followed it to Indian Draft Road.
Deputies soon caught up and conducted a felony traffic stop near Jackson River Road and Foxaway Lane.
Authorities say a search of the vehicle turned up multiple packages and pieces of mail belonging to residents in the Indian Draft and Johnson’s Creek areas, along with $413 in cash.
Both Davis and Martin are being held at the Alleghany County Regional Jail and face 18 felony chargeseach under Virginia’s mail theft law.
The investigation now includes postal inspectors and law enforcement in Bath County and West Virginia, who are reviewing whether additional charges will be filed across state lines.
Residents who believe they are missing mail are encouraged to contact the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office at 540-965-1770, extension 106. The investigation remains ongoing.
