The holiday season is a tempting time for mail thieves, as so many packages and gifts are in the mail. While the thief or thieves behind the Stettler Post Office break-in a few months ago are still on the loose, a Whitecourt mail thief wasn't as lucky.
Shortly after 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Whitecourt RCMP spotted a vehicle that had been involved in multiple mail thefts in the area.
Police tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver fled and eluded police. A short time later, the vehicle was found abandoned and a man was seen running away.
Police chased the man down on foot, arresting him shortly after.
Bradley James Gay, 21, has been arrested and charged with criminal flight, theft of mail, possession of break-in instruments, and possession of methamphetamine. Upon a search of Gay's vehicle, stolen mail and drug paraphernalia, plus a small quantity of methamphetamine, was found. The stolen mail linked Gay to two recent thefts at Whitecourt apartment buildings.