Citing the need for further investigation, prosecutors have decided not to prosecute a man who was charged with stealing mail while he was delivering newspapers.

The case can be reopened, said Seth Zucker, spokesman for the county State Attorney’s Office.

Andre L. Tyler , 42, of the 12900 block of Pickering Avenue in Germantown was arrested May 19 and charged with 17 counts of theft, based on the mail police found in his car, said Montgomery County police Sgt. Jim Brown.

The case was suspended June 30. Charges were dropped but can be reinstated.

@$:Police say Tyler picked up mail along his route in Damascus, Etchison and Laytonsville while he delivered The Examiner, a weekly newspaper. He took all the mail left overnight in mailboxes along his route on Hawkins Creamery Road, Griffith Road and state Route 108, Brown said. Tyler tossed the mail on the backseat, then at the end of the route he would sort through it, keeping gifts and credit cards and throwing out the rest, he said.

Tyler told U.S. Postal Inspector Robert Hein he had been delivering The Examiner in the Damascus, Etchison and Laytonsville area for nine or 10 months before his arrest , according to charging documents. He said he started opening mailboxes sometime before Christmas.

After Tyler’s arrest was reported, victims began coming out of the woodwork, Brown said in May.

Contractor WilCan Services LLC of Dumfries, Va., which handles deliveries of The Examiner, was notified of the charges against Tyler after his arrest, company owner John Cannady said.

“He never delivered another paper once the police department called,” Cannady said. “He was terminated ASAP.”

County police charged Tyler with 16 counts of theft less than $100 and one count of theft scheme less than $1,000. He was freed on $2,500 bail the day after his arrest.

The U.S. Postal Service is still investigating the matter, spokeswoman Lori MacCalister said. “We are looking to seek federal prosecution.”

Whether federal charges are pursued will depend on the number of victims and the amount of money involved, Postal Inspector Frank J. Schissler said.

Possession of stolen mail is punishable by up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine, Schissler said.

Tyler could not be reached for comment and no lawyer was listed for him in court documents.

ssingerbart@gazette.net