JOPPA – On Monday, Dec. 28, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) arrested Andrew Cleveland Rogers, 28, of Arab, Tessa Jean McCay, 24, of Vinemont and Brett Michael Baker, 34, of Albertville for burglary of the Joppa post office.
A joint investigation between the CCSO and U.S. postal inspectors revealed that at about 3 a.m. on Dec. 28, the suspects traveled to the Joppa post office. Once there, the suspects broke the south-side lobby window with a hammer. The suspects then entered the post office where they used a crowbar to pry open the door leading into the mail storage/sorting area.
Once inside, the suspects used the crowbar to force open the safe. They then removed one HP computer and HP monitor, a cash register, two hand-held postal scanners, cash, U.S. postage stamps, U.S. postal money orders and assorted mail and packages.
While responding to an unrelated incident a few hours later, CCSO obtained information identifying the suspects as persons of interest in the post office burglary. Additional investigation by CCSO investigators established probable cause to obtain a search warrant for a residence located on County Road 1838.
A subsequent search of the residence resulted in the recovery of the computer monitor, hand-held postal scanners, numerous postal money orders and hundreds of dollars of U.S. postage stamps that were taken in the burglary.
McCay and Baker have both been arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and are currently being held at the Cullman County Detention Center, each on $5,000 bond.
Rogers has been arrested and charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree domestic violence and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
Another suspect, Clay Austin Parker, 34, of Arab, was arrested on Dec. 28 by the Huntsville Police Department on unrelated charges and is pending extradition to Cullman County Detention Center.
"I would like to commend the investigators and deputies for their hard work in solving this case in less than 24 hours," said Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry. “We also appreciate the assistance we received from the United States postal inspectors,” added Gentry.
There may be additional suspects and charges pending.
