Two Hialeah residents were caught with an envelope full of $14,000 worth of checks stolen from mailboxes last week in Volusia and Flagler counties, according to allegations in new court records.
Yohan Mayo and Yania Gato Romero are accused of theft or receipt of stolen mail — federal crimes — after a victim’s video surveillance helped authorities pinpoint the pair in the car, according to criminal complaints filed in Orlando federal court.
The same car they rode in last week has been tied to a string of mail thefts dating back to 2024 and 2025 in Orange and Seminole counties, authorities also said.
“The same vehicle was identified from nearby cameras where mail was stolen,” according to the criminal complaint written by United States Postal Inspector Jeffrey Starnes, who investigates mail crimes.
A Port Orange woman contacted her local Police Department on April 3 after her video showed a black sedan pulling up to her mailbox and someone stealing her outgoing mail. The victim had put in a check for $49.79 and stuck the mailbox’s flag up, the criminal complaint said.
“From the recording, officers identified the vehicle as a Nissan Sentra and noted several distinguishing features, including the rims, door handles, and mismatched taillights on the rear passenger and rear driver’s side. The video also appears to show a female in the passenger seat wearing a light-colored long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt,” the criminal complaint said.
Authorities read the license plate and traced it back to the vehicle owned by Gato Romero. Law enforcement sent out an alert for other agencies to look for the car, which was found in a Publix shopping center in Deltona, the criminal complaint said.
The Nissan Sentra was pulled over and authorities discovered a torn envelope under the front passenger seat where Romero Gato sat. The envelope contained 37 stolen checks worth more than $14,000, the criminal complaint said. One of the checks belonged to the Port Orange woman who first contacted officials.
“Approximately 13 additional Port Orange victims were contacted and they collectively stated they placed their checks in their mailboxes this morning for them to be picked up by their mail carriers,” the criminal complaint said. “Additional victims in Palm Coast and South Daytona, Florida were identified from the stolen checks in the torn envelope found in the car.”
One other victim had video footage of the black car stealing her mail, the criminal complaint added.
Law enforcement cameras captured the Sentra driving across the region April 2-3, which included going to St. Lucie, Volusia County and Flagler counties, the criminal complaint said.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment. Gato Romero’s and Mayo’s attorneys declined to immediately provide comment for this story.