History Spotlight
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December 2023
December 30, 2023
Samuel D. Grey & George Tyner
Samuel Gray & George Tyner were swindlers who used the mail to steal merchandise for their storefront in Montana. Once their scam was discovered, Gray fled to Puerto Rico & duped his partner, leaving no paper trail of his own involvement.
LEARN MOREDecember 23, 2023
Christmas Eve Train Robbery
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the land, families, prepared to celebrate Christmases grand. But out in Oklahoma, on the faraway plain, the Rodgers & Dalton gang dared to rob and express mail train.
LEARN MOREDecember 16, 2023
Charles P. Barrett & The Postmaster Conspiracy
Charles Barrett was an incredibly clever and well-know attorney who used the mail and his political power to defraud the U.S. government and rob merchants all over the country, until Postal Inspectors uncovered his conspiracy.
LEARN MOREDecember 9, 2023
Gerald Chapman & Dutch Anderson
During the prohibition era, “Gentleman” Gerald Chapman became he original Public Enemy #1. After years of evading arrest, his luck ran out when Postal Inspectors began pursuing him after he robbed a mail truck of $2.4 MILLION.
LEARN MOREDecember 2, 2023
Ray Renard
After losing his father at an early age, Ray Renard turned into a life of crime. He was arrested 138 times for committing crimes, including mail theft, before turning his life around.
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November 2023
November 25, 2023
Package Protection
Since the beginning, Postal Inspectors have been committed to keeping the U.S. Mail safe. With the holidays around the corner protecting your packages is a top priority
LEARN MORENovember 18, 2023
Mr. & Mrs. George Atwood
Mr. & Mrs. George Atwood did everything together, including stealing from the mail. Despite the mounting evidence, Mr. Atwood insisted that he acted alone.
LEARN MORENovember 11, 2023
Send in the Marines!
During a crime wave in the 1920s, organized criminals targeted the mail. On two occasions, Postal Inspectors were so badly outnumbered that the federal government had to send help from the Marines.
LEARN MORENovember 5, 2023
The Velvet Kid and the Beach Haven Swindle
While on vacation in Mexico City, an elderly couple ran into a charming businessman who offered them a deal of a lifetime. Little did they know they were dealing with the Velvet Kid, a well know scammer who would steal their life savings
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October 2023
October 28, 2023
Chas Currence – Inspector Impersonator
Not everyone who dresses up is rewarded with candy for a clever costume. Postal Inspectors once dealt with the peculiar case of Chas Currence, a man arrested multiple times for trying to impersonate the Inspectors.
LEARN MOREOctober 21, 2023
Agent Shallcross and the Hunt for General Hinton
Postal Inspectors discovered a series of alarming mail thefts in Ohio after several large deposits from banks & business disappeared from the mail before reaching their destination. They began searching for clues to find the culprit.
LEARN MOREOctober 14, 2023
Louis B. Matheny aka William Brooks
Louis Matheny was a smooth talking and a sharp dresser. He was also a skilled safe burglar and a career criminal. His crimes spanned the country, until Postal Inspectors caught up with him.
LEARN MOREOctober 11, 2023
The Last Great American Train Robbery of the West
Three brothers, Roy, Ray, and Hugh, violently rob a mail train in Tunnel 13 on the Southern Pacific Railroad in southern Oregon and flee into the Siskiyou Mountains.
LEARN MOREOctober 7, 2023
Herbert Graham
Do you know someone who is really good at their job? Postal Inspector Herbert Graham was so good at taking down notrious con men that he earned the nickname “Old Poison”.
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September 2023
September 30, 2023
Topeka Joe: The Safe-Blower
Topeka Joe was a notorious yeggman who traveled the country, blowing up safes at banks & post offices in small towns. After years of evading law enforcement, Postal Inspectors finally caught up with him.
LEARN MORESeptember 23, 2023
Frisco Slim Post Office Burglar
Around 2:30 AM, an explosion rocked the Rockaway Post Office in New Jersey, and two robbers escapted into the night with a bag or cash. Postal Inspectors began their hunt for the culprits.
LEARN MORESeptember 16, 2023
Robbery in the Sky
The U.S. Post Office Department introduced air mail as the fastest, safest, and most secure form of mail delivery in 1918. However, it wasn’t long before thieves began targeting mail transported by planes.
LEARN MORESeptember 9, 2023
September 11th: The Church Street Station Post Office
On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history, and Postal Inspectors were on the front lines.
LEARN MORESeptember 2, 2023
USPIS During Disaster
During times of crisis, both natural and man-made, the United States Postal Inspection Service steps in to aid relief efforts by securing postal facilities and helping to restore vital lines of communication.
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August 2023
August 26. 2023
John D. Nicholas – Rogue Railway Clerk
After valuable Registered Mail kept going missing on a Southern Pacific Railroad train, Postal Inspectors began their investigation of railway clerk John D. Nicholas.
LEARN MOREAugust 19. 2023
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Training History
When it comes to training, the Postal Inspection Service has been producing highly skilled inspectors & officers for over 200 years. New recruits have to undergo weeks of rigorous training before they can earn the badge.
LEARN MOREAugust 12. 2023
The Wedding Gift Bomb
Newlyweds stop by the post office for a mysterious wedding gift. This gift turns out to be a bomb that explodes in the car killing Mr. Thomas. Who would break up this fledging romance? Postal Inspectors search the wreckage for clues.
LEARN MOREAugust 5, 2023
Nathaniel Wheeler – The $1 Million Mail Order Romeo
Thousands of women were in love with Nathaniel Wheeler, but he was no Romeo. This smooth-talking charmer used his love letters to scam women around the world of more than $1 Million before Postal Inspectors broke his heart.
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July 2023
July 29, 2023
Leonard Weisman – Confidence Man
Leonard Weisman swindled million from wealthy financial executives. he cleverly avoided direct contact with mail by having other send letters for him and never using the same alias twice. He still couldn’t escape the Postal inspectors.
LEARN MOREJuly 22, 2023
The Order of Iris
Want to test you luck? The Order of Iris was known in the early 1900s for selling pieces of “Iris Stone”, which they claimed held magical powers and even brought good fortune. But their luck ran out when Inspectors began their investigation.
LEARN MOREJuly 15, 2023
The Klick Couple Swindle
In 1933, an elderly couple was scammed out of their life savings of over $70,000 by a group of con-artists. Postal Inspectors were tasked with finding the swindlers and reclaiming their life savings.
LEARN MOREJuly 8, 2023
Ella McClendon – The Mystery Woman
A wealthy Virginia farmer dies by posioning with no heirs. Two weeks later authorities receive a will leaving his fortune to a mystery woman Ella McClendon. Was there foul play?
LEARN MOREJuly 1, 2023
The Union Pacific Mail Train Robbery Part 3
After the robbery of the Union Pacific Mail Train, eight bandits escaped with $245,000 and went their separate ways. But after two months of being pursued by Inspectors, the “perfect” heist unraveled when they began turning on each other.
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June 2023
June 24, 2023
The Union Pacific Mail Train Robbery Part 2
On August 14, 1926, eight bandits stole $245,000 from the Union Pacific Mail Train and got away without a trace. They thought they had pulled off the perfect heist, until Postal Inspectors began investigating the case.
LEARN MOREJune 17, 2023
The Union Pacific Mail Train Robbery Part 1
Two old friends make a bet they can pull of the perfect heist. After a year of planning & recruiting they decided to rob the Union Pacific Mail Train.
LEARN MOREJune 10, 2023
Robbery at Council Bluffs
In November 1920, $3.5 Million was stolen off a mail train near Council Bluffs, Iowa. During the investigation, Postal Inspectors learned that two teens helped pull off the massive heist.
LEARN MOREJune 3, 2023
A.B. Potter
In March 1897, Postal Inspectors had to solve a curious case. A fraudster, known as “A.B. Potter,” had been impersonating postal employees to commit crime for years until he was captured.
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May 2023
May 27, 2023
Harry D. Holmes – The Last Interview of Lee Harvey Oswald
In Nov. 1963, federal agencies combined resources immediately following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Postal Inspector Harry Holmes was tasked with finding how Lee Harvey Oswald had purchased his weapon through the mail.
LEARN MOREMay 20, 2023
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service in WWII
During World War II, more than 225 Postal Inspectors were drafted or enlisted to serve in the Armed Forces. But that didn’t stop the Inspection Service from carrying out its’ important mission.
LEARN MOREMay 13, 2023
APO and Military Mail History
Postal Inspectors helped create the Army Post Office system during WWI to ensure soldiers received their mail. While minor adjustments are made for the location of conflict, the APO system is still used to deliver military mail today.
LEARN MOREMay 6, 2023
William “Bill” Kenyon
William Kenyon had a long history with the Postal Service. Starting as a young man cleaning mail bags, Kenyon would proceed to become a highly respected Postal Inspector and organizer of the Army Postal Offices during WWI.
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April 2023
April 29, 2023
David B. Parker
When mail service became unreliable during the Civil War, Lieutenant D.B. Parker ensured his soldiers’ vital communications were delivered. Parker would go on to become a Postal Inspector and a pioneer in the Bell Telephone Company.
LEARN MOREApril 22, 2023
Allan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton created on of the most successful security and detective agencies in the world, but before he did this, he was a Postal Inspector.
LEARN MOREApril 8, 2023
Rondout Train Robbery
The DeAutremont brothers robbed a mail train in 1923 known as the “Last Great Train Robbery.” However, the largest and most lucrative train robbery in the U.S. actually took place the following year in Rondout, Illinois.
LEARN MOREApril 1, 2023
Weird Postal Inspection History
Postal Inspectors have been investigating mail crimes for a long time. From mail-eating cows to hypnotizing thieves, they have seen all sorts of strange cases over the years.
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March 2023
March 25, 2023
Stagecoach Robber Implicated by His Own Diary
The 1870s and 1880s were plagued by stagecoach, mail, and bank robberies. In a vast and growing country, criminals were often able to escape. ham White, however, had documented proof of his crimes when captured in 1877.
LEARN MOREMarch 18. 2023
Today’s Women of the Inspection Service
Women have long played support roles with the Postal Inspection Service, but it wasn’t until 1971 that the first female was appointed a Postal Inspector. Coincidently, that year was when the Security Force was established – and included women in the first class. Today, women from all backgrounds can be found in every position at the United States Postal Inspection Service.
LEARN MOREMarch 11, 2023
Kate “Ma” Barker
After being abandoned by her husband of 35 years, Kate “Ma” Barker encouraged her sons’ criminal lifestyle and became the mastermind of the infamous Barker-Karpis gang of Chicago.
LEARN MOREMarch 3, 2023
Women in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
While the Postal Inspection Service has long been inclusive, it wasn’t until 1971 that women were appointed to the position of Postal Inspector. When the first women joined, they were among the first employed as federal agents in any U.S. agency.
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February 2023
February 25, 2023
The Green Book
Victor H. Green, a letter carrier & WWI veteran, created a travel guide to help African Americans travel safely during the Jim Crow era. The “Green Book” was updated regularly from 1936 to 1967 & helped thousands during its publication.
LEARN MOREFebruary 18, 2023
African Americans in the Inspection Service
Postal Inspectors have a proud history of hiring talented individuals of all backgrounds. This Black History Month, we turn our attention to some of the influential African American figures in our agency’s history
LEARN MOREFebruary 11, 2023
The Ages of Fraud Part 2
Like putting old wine in a new bottle, the same scams have reappeared in new forms as technology has progressed. But Postal Inspectors are keen to adapt to scammers’ changing methods.
LEARN MOREFebruary 4 , 2023
The Ages of Fraud Part 1
The Mail Fraud Statute of 1872 gave Postal Inspectors the ability to prosecute scammers. This led to several time periods that saw different kinds of fraud & the downfall of criminals, such as Charles Ponzi & Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil.
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January 2023
January 28, 2023
History of Mail Fraud Statute
Since the birth of the Postal Service, scammers have tried to abuse the mail system in order to make a quick buck. Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute in 1872, making it illegal to use the mail in any attempt to defraud or scam someone.
LEARN MOREJanuary 21, 2023
“Black Hand Gang”
For more than 20 years, the Black Hand Gang terrorized citizens across the country with threatening letters of violence, murder, and extortion. But their threats didn’t intimidate the Postal Inspectors.
LEARN MOREJanuary 15, 2023
“Boy Wonder” of Forgery
After a decade of forgery & fraud, Jerome Poster intentionally blinded himself in order to stop. But even blindness couldn’t keep him from a life of crime.
LEARN MOREJanuary 7, 2023
First Postal Surveyors
Before modern roads, Postal Surveyors had to find the safest & most efficient routes to transport the mail. These Surveyors laid the foundation for today’s Postal Service and the Inspection Service.
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