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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County DA’s Office is crediting ABC13 for the arrest of an alleged mail thief.

In June, we showed you a video a homeowner captured in northwest Houston, showing a man getting out of a truck, opening a cluster mail box, and cleaning it out.

Simon Salinas is the northwest Houston homeowner who captured the video. He reached out to ABC13 back in June after he said his reports of mail theft in his northwest Houston neighborhood weren’t getting much traction.

“I called y’all. They’re not doing much. Maybe you can do something,” Salina said in a June interview.

Salinas set up a camera pointing at the neighborhood mail box, which captured video that showed an alleged repeat mail thief. Eyewitness News aired that video on June 9, and Harris County Assistant DA Mike Levine saw it.

“This specific story, I think, is uncommon. That’s fair to say,” Levine said in an exclusive ABC13 interview.

Levine said he sent our report to federal investigators who focus on mail crimes, and to his surprise, just weeks later, there was a break in the case.

Levine said a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop and found 30-year-old Tom Corella alongside a large quantity of mail that the deputy suspected was stolen.

“The same federal investigator who had watched the video from the earlier reports (arrived at the scene) and said that’s our guy,” Levine said.

Court records show Corella was arrested on June 28 and charged with stealing mail and having a master key that gets you into mailboxes.

Levine says Corella bonded out, and shortly after, the DA’s office said investigators found evidence that Corella used multiple stolen credit cards at multiple stores.

Jail records show Corella was rearrested on August 6, and a search warrant was executed at his home.

A photo sent to ABC13 by the DA’s office shows multiple trash bags of mail, they say investigators found in Corella’s home. Levin said around 700 pounds of stolen mail was recovered, alongside a gun, drugs, and a large number of stolen credit cards and pieces of personal information.

“He’s certainly not new to this. Let’s put it that way, he’s been committing mail theft for a long time,” Levine said.

We stopped back by Salina’s home, who tells us his camera hasn’t picked up much at all since Corella was arrested.

“There has been no movement at that mailbox! Just our neighbors coming and going and getting their mail,” Salinas said.

Court records name dozens of people allegedly victimized by Corella.

Corella’s bond was denied in August and is now in jail, facing five charges related to stolen mail.

“If you are a victim of mail theft, please report it, and if you are committing mail theft, someone is working that case right now, and they are going to catch up with you,” Levine said.

Assistant DA Levine said after Corella’s arrest, they’ve linked him to other crimes. Levine wouldn’t share specifics yet, but said they match Corella’s alleged MO of identity theft.

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