A Texas man accused of making 3D-printed copies of counterfeit universal mail keys, known as arrow keys, has been indicted by a Harris County grand jury.
The keys could be connected to a string of other fraud-related crimes 42-year-old Larry Piper is charged with, including allegedly buying a Tesla and renting a Houston townhome in someone else’s name.
Piper is currently in the Harris County Jail being held without bond. A grand jury returned the indictment for unlawful use of a criminal instrument on April 9, court records show. He’s facing five felonies, including charges of false statements to obtain credit, fraudulent use of identifying information, and drug possession.
According to the Houston Police Department, a woman called police to her apartment complex off the Katy Freeway in West Houston in September after Piper allegedly stole a bag of packages from her apartment.
When police caught up with him, he was found to have a counterfeit arrow key with him, and police say Piper told them it was a 3D copy. He also allegedly told officers he received the arrow key from a friend and he made 3D copies of arrow keys for money.
“We intend to prove that he manufactured or adapted an arrow key to use as a criminal instrument to commit crimes like forgery, mail theft, identity theft,” said Valerie Turner, chief of the consumer fraud unit at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “There could be a situation where a real arrow key was used to manufacture a fake arrow key. As long as it works, that’s all that matters.”
Records show Piper was arrested for misdemeanor theft and unlawful use of a criminal instrument charges in September, then released on bond.
In November, HPD began investigating Piper further after a Houston man claimed someone used his identity to get an auto loan through Chase Bank and lease a townhome in the Montrose neighborhood.
According to court records, Piper got a car loan in June 2023 for $59,935.82 to buy a 2022 Tesla Model Y.
Tesla helped track the vehicle to the townhome on Oakley Street, according to records, where Piper allegedly signed a 12-month lease for $3,750 a month.
In both transactions, investigators found Piper used stolen personal information of a Houston man who didn’t permit anyone to use his identifying information to obtain goods or services, according to records.
Piper was linked to those alleged crimes in February and arrested again in early March, which is when HPD discovered mail theft victims like Andrea B, who asked KPRC 2 to withhold her full identity.
“Kind of speechless for a moment ... I just took a pause and just couldn’t figure things out,” she said.
She had been waiting on a replacement credit card to arrive in her Montrose-area apartment complex mailbox. Instead, she said detectives called her after they found it in Piper’s car with handwriting on the paperwork.
“He had my social security number and my date of birth (written down),” Andrea B said.
She doesn’t know how he got all of her information and said she thought she was doing everything right to protect her identity.
She has since frozen her credit with the three major bureaus and told KPRC 2 that she no longer feels safe using the mail.
“I’m worried about what information this person might have of mine, and you know, what the future holds,” she said.
Records show Piper has a criminal history dating back to 1999 in Harris County as well as convictions in other counties.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is the federal law enforcement arm of the postal service, cited an ongoing investigation and declined to share any details when contacted by KPRC 2 about the allegations involving Piper.
Piper has a next court date scheduled in May.