LAFOLLETTE, Tenn. (WATE) — A LaFollette man is under arrest after law enforcement said he admitted to opening at least 30 mailboxes in different communities in Campbell County.

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office said they received multiple reports of mail theft from residents in the areas.

Patrick Scott Leach_mugshot
Patrick Scott Leach, 22. (Courtesy of the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office)

During the investigation, deputies located a vehicle at a home on Coolidge Road believed to be connected to the thefts. CCSO detectives spoke with the person at the home, 22-year-old Patrick Scott Leach.

According to CCSO detectives, Leach admitted during the interview that he opened 30 mailboxes from various addresses in the Davis Chapel Road, Carr Wynn Road, Coolidge Road and Back Valley Road areas.

The home, where CCSO found Leach, was searched. Detectives found hundreds of mail items that were believed to be stolen.

Leach has been charged with theft under $1,000. However, the sheriff’s office says further criminal charges are expected.

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Postal Inspector are working on the ongoing investigation.