Police Officer Foil Grinchs’ Attempts at Stealing Christmas Packages

 Posted on December 05, 2012 in Criminal Defense

According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, an off-duty police officer on his way to work began his shift a little earlier than planned when he noticed two men stealing mail from a postal truck and stopped them in the act. The men were not in uniform, yet they were unloading packages from a U.S. Postal truck parked on the 5900 block of West Fulton Boulevard. The officer watched them load the packages into a Black SUV that was parked close by. After loading the vehicle, the men sped off.

The officer began following the men and called into 911 with the description and information about the men and the SUV they were driving. Officers who were monitoring the radio spotted the men and began following them. When one of the men realized they were being followed by police officers, he began throwing the stolen mail out of the vehicle and onto the street.

Officers pulled the SUV over and arrested one of the men, Darrick Smith, 43, of Chicago, who was charged with burglary. The other suspect fled and was not caught. Police believe the two men broke a window in the mail truck, using a large piece of concrete that was found lying next to the truck.

Although Smith has been only charged with burglary, there is also the possibility, because of the alleged theft of U.S. mail, the postal inspector may also press charges. The offense would then become a federal offense and a guilty could find the defendant incarcerated in a federal penitentiary. If you’ve been charged with a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you in DuPage County. Having the right representation could mean the difference between a guilty and a not guilty finding.