42 credit and debit cards, over a dozen stolen checks found in mail theft ring bust, records show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston authorities have announced several arrests in connection with what they call a "large criminal network responsible for mail theft."

Kenneth Charles Hicks, Wahaj Ahmed Usama, and Anthony Hale were among the people arrested for their alleged involvement, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The three are accused of mail theft, manufacturing fake IDs, and other financial crimes, including bank fraud.

Court records reveal that at the time of his arrest, Hicks was already on parole for a 2007 conviction related to tampering with a government record, which resulted in a 40-year prison sentence.

On April 18, police were called to a hotel where a room had not been vacated after checkout. Once entering the room, documents state police found evidence of identity theft and mail fraud, including:

• 42 credit and debit cards not belonging to any suspects

• 16 stolen checks totaling nearly $5,000

• More than 130 pieces of stolen mail

• More than 350 pieces of opened mail containing sensitive personal information, including tax records and bank documents

• Counterfeit U.S. Postal keys

• Tools used to make fake IDs, along with multiple fake IDs using real victims' information with the suspects' photos

• Altered Texas driver's licenses

• Methamphetamine

Records show Hicks and Hale were also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told ABC13 in a statement that an ongoing investigation into the case is underway.

Officials said the best way to protect yourself from mail theft is to pick up your mail often, so that it isn't sitting around for too long.

For more on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia on Facebook,X and Instagram.