Federal task force investigates after local woman accused of stealing over 500 pieces of mail

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal task force is investigating after a Charlotte woman was accused of stealing hundreds of pieces of mail including tax forms.

The federal postal inspection task force is new to Charlotte and it is made up of 20 local, state and federal officers.

In 10 months, the task force has built 18 federal cases that amount to hundreds of thousands in fraud.

It is taking a close look at Lisa Swinson.

Channel 9 told you about Swinson's arrest earlier this month when the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it arrested her for breaking into Charlotte homes.

Officers said they found in her car over 500 pieces of mail that had been taken from homes and businesses across Charlotte.

The assistant inspector in charge at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said the new task force will work to identify how the mail was compromised, but that criminals often search for specific types of mail.

“They're looking for something with personal identifying information. Then they're trying to compromise accounts,” said Paul Mezzanotte, the assistant inspector in charge.

Swinson is still in the Mecklenburg County jail.

She’ll face a judge next week.

Cox Media Group