FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – About two weeks after postal inspectors offered a hefty reward for information leading to an arrest, authorities say they’ve captured one of two men suspected of stealing mail at a Sunrise apartment complex.
Recommended Videos
Records show Wilfredo Rivero, 31, appeared in Fort Lauderdale federal court Friday on two mail theft charges.
Authorities said he’s one of two men responsible for stealing mail on April 26 and 28 at an apartment complex at 9010 Sunrise Lakes Blvd.
Rivero lives about a mile away from the complex, authorities said.
Prosecutors said video showed him and the other man prying open large mailboxes with crowbars and taking what was inside. The other suspect, who hasn’t been named publicly, was seen stuffing mail “into both his pants and shirt.”
According to the complaint, the video, released to South Florida news outlets in early May, led to “several” tips about the identities of Rivero and his co-conspirator.
The complaint states Rivero even confirmed to an informant that he was one of the men seen on the news. Another tipster told postal inspectors that since the video came out, he had been hiding out at his mother’s home in Hialeah.
Authorities said they staked out her home in the 900 block of East 29th Street on May 14 and recognized Rivero by his distinct tattoos, even though he had shaved his head.
It’s not clear where agents ultimately arrested Rivero, but he was ultimately taken to the Broward Main Jail on Thursday to be held on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Court records show a magistrate judge ordered that he be held on a $75,000 bond.
If released, he’ll be subject to several conditions, including GPS monitoring and surrendering his passport.