A 29-year-old postal worker has been accused of stealing mail from around 72 residences in Gulf Shores.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspectors contacted Gulf Shores Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division on Nov. 17 regarding stolen mail. Gulf Shores and Foley Police Department detectives worked with postal inspectors to locate the stolen mail and recovered mail from a postal service contractor’s vehicle, according to a press release from the Gulf Shores agency.

Detectives from Foley and Gulf Shores executed a search warrant at a residence in Foley, where officials say additional stolen mail was found. Bryant Douglas Nugent was arrested and charged with two counts of felony mail theft.

Under Alabama’s new mail theft law, which took effect Oct. 1, mail theft is either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the number of addresses affected. Detectives identified approximately 72 residences impacted by the theft, mostly in the West Fort Morgan area of Gulf Shores.

According to the Gulf Shores department, the U.S. Postal Service has notified those affected.

“This case underscores the importance of interagency cooperation,” Gulf Shores Police said in a statement. “The professionalism and commitment of our federal and local partners were key to keeping Baldwin County residents safe from the impacts of these offenses.”

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gulf Shores Police Department at (251) 968‑2431 or gspdpio@gulfshoresal.gov.