Submitted by Clay
County Sheriff’s Office
On Monday, Dec. 18, some residents of the Shooting Creek area woke up to find mailboxes in their communities had been tampered with. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office began taking calls in the early morning hours regarding mail lying on the ground near the mailboxes where it appeared someone had simply been looking for packages or money.
The sheriff’s office responded by putting an alert out on social media and conducting saturation patrols in the Shooting Creek area where most of the tampering had taken place. Through information obtained by investigators with the sheriff’s office, a person of interest was named. Deputies continued to spread the word while keeping a heavy presence in the affected areas overnight.
On Tuesday, Dec. 19, a traffic stop was made near the Shooting Creek Fire Department. The driver, Cody Elkins, fled on foot a short distance, but was arrested soon afterward. At the scene of the traffic stop some items were found which connected Elkins to the mail theft, according to the sheriff’s office.
Elkins, 30, of Clay County, was charged with driving while license revoked, resist, delay, and obstruct and larceny.
Elkins is currently being held in the Clay County Detention Center.
The sheriff’s office encourages anyone with information or who had mail missing to contact the sheriff’s office at (828) 389-6354.
The investigation into the mail thefts is ongoing and additional charges are expected.