Three indicted for burglary conspiracy involving Puget Sound area post offices

Tacoma – Three residents of the South Sound region face federal charges for their post office burglary scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. Justin Tate, 36, most recently of Tacoma, Gregory Foster, 58, of Port Orchard, Washington, and Paula Gamboa, 37 of Federal Way, Washington, were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 21, 2025. Tate was sentenced for an unrelated crime in Kitsap County yesterday and transferred to federal custody, where he will appear for arraignment in Tacoma at 1:30 PM. His co-defendants were previously arraigned.

According to the indictment, Tate led a burglary crew that targeted post offices in the Puget Sound region. The break-ins spanned Kitsap, Thurston, Pierce, King, and Island Counties. The thieves kept cash and other valuables from the stolen mail. Tate went on to allegedly use identity and financial documents obtained from victims’ mail to commit bank fraud. The specific burglaries are these:

• July 4, 2024, Tate and Foster allegedly break into the Olalla Post Office wearing face masks to obscure their identities.
• July 8, 2024, Tate and Foster allegedly attempt to enter the restricted area of the Littlerock Post Office – they disconnect the security camera but cannot breach a metal shutter into the restricted area.
• July 9, 2024, Tate and Gamboa allegedly enter the Fox Island Post Office and steal mail from various post office boxes.
• July 15, 2024, Foster allegedly breaks a window and enters the Anderson Island Contract Post Office and steal $3,000 in stamps, $100 in cash and about 100 postal money orders.
• July 24, 2024, Tate allegedly enters the Vashon Island Post Office and steals mail from multiple post office boxes.
• July 27, 2024, Tate and Foster allegedly force their way through the back door of the Snoqualmie Post Office and steal mail.
• July 30, 2024, Tate and Gamboa allegedly steal mail from boxes inside the Preston Post Office.
• July 31, 2024, Tate and Gamboa break into the Clinton Post Office on Whidbey Island and steal mail from post boxes and from a mail drop box.

The indictment charges Justin Tate with two counts of bank fraud and lists various transactions that constitute the bank fraud charges. Tate opened a bank account in the name of one of the victims and then transferred or attempted to transfer more than $3,500 for his own use. He attempted to deposit more than $13,000 in fraudulent checks. Tate also ran up $7,200 in point-of-sale charges with a stolen debit card.

Tate is also charged with two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft for his use of the identities of his victims in the bank fraud scheme.

Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. Bank fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated Identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two years in prison to run consecutive to any other prison term imposed in the case.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.