Former Concord Man Steals 450,000 Stamps, Moves to Maine: Affidavit

CONCORD, NH — A former Concord resident was arrested and held on cash bail last month for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of stamps from a local business, according to police. Stephen Shaw, 31, of Thomas Street in Buxport, ME, was arrested at 12:16 a.m. on Aug. 24, 2016, and charged with felony theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

According to a court affidavit, an officer was sent to a business on Old Turnpike Road on July 31 for a report of a past tense theft involving U.S. postage stamps that were purchased in bulk from a Missouri company for a job the business was performing. Three days before, according to the report, a worker at the business realized that there were enough stamps to complete the job even though they were previously inventoried. It was later discovered that multiple rolls of 5 cent and 10 cent stamps – 450,000 in all – were missing and some had been discovered for sale on eBay. The value of the stolen stamps was around $42,500. The employee believed a man who had just quit his job at the company – Shaw – was responsible for the theft, according to an affidavit.

The employee alleged that Shaw “worked in the area of the building where he would have access to the stamps” and had just given his notice. Shaw, he alleged, was moving to Maine after meeting with his parole officer and getting permission to move.

The officer eyed eBay and located the item for sale – a coil roll of 10,000 10 cent stamps sealed, unused, and new, available for $1,000 or face value. The item’s sale address was Rumford, ME. The employee alleged that the stamps were the same type of stamps that were stolen.

An insurance investigator for the business also became involved in the case and the investigating officer also spoke to the chief of the Rumford Police Department about the case. The chief also reportedly met with a person who had allegedly purchased stamps from Shaw.

The officer returned to the business to get a picture of the stamps as well as “a roll read.” The employee noted that stamps with roll reads were not available for purchase by an individual, only a business with a permit, so Shaw probably had no access to the stamps but through the business.

The officer spoke to the chief in Rumford again, who had obtained $9,000 worth of stamps from the buyer after the insurance investigator learned from eBay who the buyer was. After speaking with the buyer, investigator learned that Shaw allegedly sold the stamps to him. The insurance investigator also alleged that he had received a phone call from Shaw and he reportedly stated that he found the stamps in a backpack outside of the business, according to the affidavit. He reportedly stated that he thought the business was throwing away the stamps.

The reporting officer then spoke to the buyer – an owner of a bookstore that also collects stamps and collectables – who stated he allegedly purchased $9,000 worth of stamps from Shaw, and also gave him gas money, during two meetings. The buyer alleged that Shaw told him the stamps were his grandfather’s – a stamp collector, according to the report. When contacted again about the stamps, Shaw reportedly told the buyer he found them in a dumpster at work, he alleged. Shaw allegedly added that he didn’t think the buyer would purchase them if he knew they came from a dumpster, according to the report.

A warrant was filed on Aug. 22, and Shaw turned himself in to police two days later and was held on $10,000 cash bail.