A Houston postal worker was arrested after investigators say they found property-tax checks intended for a school district inside his Range Rover. Eurey Dewayne Smith, 33, was taken into custody on October 27 after finishing his shift at a U.S. Postal Service facility on Town and Country Way, according to KPRC 2.
Smith faces a Texas state jail felony mail-theft charge. A sworn criminal complaint alleges that he took mail containing checks with the intent to facilitate forgery, and he worked at the same postal facility where Spring Branch Independent School District received mailed tax payments.
Prosecutors say the wider investigation has identified more than 220 compromised property-tax checks totaling over $4 million. They told the court Smith could face additional, more serious charges as investigators continued examining the payments.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General led the investigation. Spring Branch ISD also worked with the Memorial Villages Police Department.
A Homeowner’s Tax Check Cleared, but the District Still Wanted Payment
In February, ABC13 interviewed a woman whose family had mailed a property-tax check shortly before the deadline. When Spring Branch ISD sent a delinquency notice, they thought the payment and notice had crossed in the mail. A second notice prompted them to review the processed check.
Although the money had left the family’s bank account, the check had been changed to name someone other than the school district as payee. The woman showed ABC13 the altered check and described losing thousands of dollars. Spring Branch ISD told the station that other taxpayers had reported similar problems.
Investigators Found 12 Pieces of Mail Inside the Range Rover
Investigators searched Smith’s Range Rover in the employee parking lot under a warrant after he left work on October 27. They reported finding 12 pieces of first-class mail, 11 of them addressed to the Spring Branch ISD Tax Assessor-Collector. Five envelopes had been opened and contained checks payable to the district.
The sworn Harris County complaint, dated October 28, accuses Smith of taking mail from fewer than 10 addressees, with the intent to steal negotiable instruments and facilitate forgery. It describes a mail-theft charge, rather than a separate filed forgery count.
Prosecutors Say More Than 220 Checks Worth $4 Million Were Compromised
In an October 28 motion, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office described the broader investigation into property-tax checks. Prosecutors cited the mail allegedly found in Smith’s vehicle while seeking a higher bail amount.
KPRC 2 reported that checks began disappearing from the mail in January and that some were later altered and fraudulently deposited. The more than $4 million figure comes from the value of checks investigators said had been compromised across the wider investigation, not a court finding that Smith personally stole that amount.
Prosecutors Requested $1 Million Bail. The Court Set $150,000
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Keith asked the court to set Smith’s bail at $1 million and opposed release on a personal bond. The October 28 magistrate’s bail order instead sets bail at $150,000, with conditions, and rejects a personal bond. A $150,000 surety bond was filed on October 29.
Texas Penal Code Section 31.20 classifies mail theft involving five or fewer negotiable instruments as a state jail felony when the offense includes intent to facilitate a fraud offense under Chapter 32. The complaint in Smith’s case specifically alleges an intent to facilitate forgery.
Signed Order Bars Smith From Going Within 200 Feet of His Post Office
A signed pretrial supervision order dated October 28 prohibits Smith from going to or within 200 feet of the post office at 10505 Town and Country Way in Houston. It also places him under Harris County Pretrial Services supervision and restricts travel outside Harris County and its adjoining counties without permission.
Prosecutors had requested a broader restriction covering visits to post offices, but the signed order names the Town and Country Way facility. USPS confirmed to ABC13 that Smith remained an employee following his arrest but was no longer performing postal duties.
The Next Court Setting Is Scheduled for December 7
A case reset form filed November 2 lists Smith’s next court setting for Monday, December 7, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. The proceeding is described as an arraignment and attorney-related setting at 1201 Franklin in Houston. The case is assigned to Harris County’s 184th District Court under cause number 198620601010.
How Homeowners Can Check That Property-Tax Payments Arrived
Spring Branch ISD taxpayers can check their accounts through the district’s online tax search or call its tax office at 713-251-7960. The district also lists 8880 Westview Drive in Houston as its office for in-person payments. A check appearing as paid on a bank statement does not necessarily mean the intended tax office received the money.
Anyone who finds a missing payment should review images of the front and back of the processed check, including the payee and endorsement, and contact the bank and receiving tax office promptly. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service explains how check alteration works and accepts mail-theft reports or calls to 1-877-876-2455. Suspected misconduct involving a Postal Service employee can be reported to the USPS Office of Inspector General.