LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In the past month, two Louisville mail carriers have been threatened, one with a knife and another with a gun, then robbed.
Mailboxes are being targeted too. It has some concerned about the safety of their mail.
Bike shop owner Vic Miller says he is cautious with how he pays the bills.
"I never put a check in the mailbox with my flag up. I always put it in the box in front of the post office," Miller said.
Inside Vic's Classic Bikes, he spends his hours restoring older bikes. His store is full of passion projects, bikes ready for sale and discarded furniture that's been brought back to life.
Miller is loyal to his longtime products, keeps a written ledger and is old-fashioned. He and his wife also write checks to pay bills.
Earlier this summer, he dropped off a modest check at a nearby post office to pay off a medical bill. He was careful to not mail it from his house.
But in the following days, he saw that his bank account took a $5,000 hit. In a letter later sent by his bank, Miller learned he was a victim of mail theft. The bank wrote what happened.
"They (criminals) washed it, chemically washed it, and then wrote who they wanted when they wanted, and ran it through a bank that cashed it," Miller said.
Miller was reimbursed, but doesn't want to see this happen to anyone else. That's why he commented on the Audubon Park Police Department's Facebook post warning about thieves targeting mailboxes.
A Facebook post from the Audubon Park Police Department about checks being stolen in the mail.
For Miller, the money stolen is just a small sum compared to the sudden changes: a hurt credit, new bank accounts and a recommendation to stop using paper checks.
"I'm pretty positive, pretty happy. You know, I'm 70 years old, I love it. My wife's happy, we got a good life, and I talk about this stuff, I'm getting depressed," Miller said.
His peace of mind is rocked. But Miller can set that aside during his hours at his slice of heaven on Preston Highway as he continues to adapt to new realities.
Related Stories:
- Louisville police arrest man found with stolen mail, including checks
- Louisville police investigating multiple mail carrier armed robberies from last 2 weeks
- Mail carrier robbed at gunpoint for keys by 2 men in Pleasure Ridge Park, Louisville police say
- Postal service worker robbed, mail keys taken in downtown Louisville
- 2 men accused of stealing mail at Jeffersontown post office could face federal charges
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
