Identity Theft leads to Murder of Florida Mail Carrier

After a five-month investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Miami-Dade Police, Pikerson Mentor, 29, and Saubnet Dwayne Politasse, 23, both of Miami, were arrested this week for the murder of 60-year-old mail carrier Bruce Parton, a longtime postal worker just weeks away from his planned retirement. (VIDEO below)

According to the complaint, Parton was gunned down for his universal mailbox key, which was later used to commit identity crimes.

The arrest report states: "Politasse admitted later using the key with Mentor to open up the apartment mailboxes for the purpose of stealing mail and engaging in identity theft."

  Watch video here

See previous story: Letter Carrier Fatally Shot  

And latest from the Sun Sentinel:
Identity theft a motive in mail carrier's murder
Feds remind us that from online phishing, to leaks at the doctor's office, schools, and hospitals, sources of personal data theft abound

In Florida, the nation's identity theft capital, sensitive personal data have also been stolen at banks, hospitals, doctors' offices, private businesses and the Broward County School Board.

Hundreds of South Floridians discovered they were victims of ID theft this tax season when the IRS rejected their return because someone had already filed for a refund using their names and Social Security numbers. Even tax preparers may have been in on some of the scams.