Kalamazoo, MI – A targeted operation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service resulted in the arrest on May 19, 2025,
of Dequon Hardimon, 26, of Hazel Crest, IL. His arrest followed a Postal Inspection Service investigation into several
mail thefts in the Kalamazoo, MI, area, focused on U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes at the Westwood Post
Office at 167 N. Drake Road and the Miller Road Post Office at 1121 Miller Road in Kalamazoo.
Hardimon was charged with one count of mail theft and appeared in the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids on May 20,
2025, for his initial appearance.
Postal Service customers who deposited mail in a blue USPS collection box at either the Westwood or Miller Road Post
Offices during the weekend of May 16, 2025, should check with the intended recipients to ensure that their mail was
received. It is also recommended to place a stop payment on any checks and reissue them.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service understands the impact of these thefts on the community,” said Sean McStravick,
acting inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Detroit Division. “As part of our Project Safe Delivery,
we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, including the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the
Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of
Michigan to investigate crimes that threaten the safety of Postal Service employees and the security of the mailstream.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Project Safe Delivery is a national campaign launched in May 2023 to combat
escalating crimes against Postal Service employees and the mailstream. Project Safe Delivery employs a holistic
approach to address robberies of letter carriers and mail theft by protecting postal employees and the integrity of the
U.S. Mail, preventing incidents through education and awareness, and enforcing the laws that protect our nation’s
mailstream. For more on Project Safe Delivery please visit: https://www.uspis.gov/project-safe-delivery.
Individuals who believe they may be victims of mail theft are encouraged to contact to the U.S. Postal Inspection
Service at 1-877-876-2455 or visit their website at www.uspis.gov/report.
It is important to note that criminal charges are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until
proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
