The man arrested for mail and identity theft has faced one round of charges but will face even more as police continue to sort through thousands of pieces of mail.

Adam Justin Lysiak, 38, was charged in a Jefferson County Superior Court after he was discovered with stolen mail from across Jefferson and Kitsap counties, including Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and Silverdale.

Prosecutors have pinned 12 charges on Lysiak for stolen property stemming from credits cards found in his possession.

“The suspect for these thefts, Adam Justin Lysiak, is currently in jail charged with several felonies,” said Port Townsend Police Officer Luke Bogues in a Feb. 15 statement.

Lysiak is being held on $250,000 bail set by Jefferson County Superior Court, he said.

“We anticipate adding additional felonies as the investigation progresses,” Bogues said.

Each charge is a Class C felony and could result in a sentence of five years and a $5,000 fine.

Authorities are anticipating further charges. The initial 12 stolen property charges are based on just 10 pieces of mail, and Washington state law considers every 10 pieces of mail a separate felony charge.

Lysiak could face hundreds more charges as officers sort through more than 1,000 pounds of mail.

It is not yet known if he will face federal charges.

“It will be known at a later time if the federal government will assume prosecution of this case,” Bogues said. “In the meanwhile, we’re working extensively with the staff at the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.”

Seven agencies were called in for the arrest Tuesday, Feb. 12, after Bogues received a tip that Lysiak was allegedly running an identity theft operation out of a local residence.

Stolen mail, computers and printers were found in Lysiak’s apartment.

“As far as we can tell, Mr. Lysiak has resided in Port Townsend for about two months,” Bogues said. “Prior to that he lived in the Federal Way area and spent some time in prison for identity theft and possession of stolen property.”

Port Townsend police are currently sorting and taking inventory of the mail. The department has placed 14 commissioned staff members on the job.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is also assisting with the task.

The majority of the mail is from Jefferson County and northern Kitsap County.

Police have said that some mail from Pierce, King and Clallam counties has also been retrieved.

Police are photocopying and documenting each piece of mail as evidence. When they are finished they will begin contacting victims.

“We expect the notification of victims to take weeks if not months,” Bogues said. “It is very important to us to take our time to perform a thorough investigation that will result in a solid court case.”

Detectives also have obtained video of Lysiak allegedly using stolen checks at businesses in Port Townsend.

The investigation is also linking Lysiak to stores in Silverdale, where he allegedly used stolen checks, credit cards and gift cards.