Feds say two men arrested in armed robbery of mail carrier in Dublin part of bigger scheme

Jordan Laird, The Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·2 min read
18
Federal postal inspectors have accused two Columbus-area men of robbing a U.S. Postal Service carrier at gunpoint last week. According to authorities, their crime is part of a larger pattern.
Federal postal inspectors have accused two Columbus-area men of robbing a U.S. Postal Service carrier at gunpoint last week. According to authorities, their crime is part of a larger pattern.

Federal agents have accused two Columbus-area men of robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier at gunpoint last week and authorities are saying the men could be part of a larger network targeting area mail carriers in central Ohio.

Mahad S. Jama, 21, of Westerville, and Da'mon D. May, 18, of Columbus, appeared Friday in U.S. District Court in Columbus.

According to the criminal complaints filed with the court by a U.S. postal inspector, Jama and May robbed the mail carrier a little after 3 p.m. on April 4 while he was sitting in his postal vehicle on Sawmill Road in Dublin.

The complaints state Jama approached the vehicle and brandished a handgun that May gave him, demanding the carrier’s postal arrow key. Such keys can universally access Postal Service mail collection boxes.

According to the complaints, law enforcement officers have been investigating a network of individuals involved in stealing Postal Service arrow keys in central Ohio for the purpose of stealing mail, mostly checks.

Previous reporting: U.S. attorney in Columbus: Man who robbed mail carriers at gunpoint is part of trend

“As today’s charges show, our law enforcement agencies will work swiftly to identify those allegedly involved in this brazen conduct ," said Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus. "We will not tolerate violence in any form, including against postal workers who are simply trying to fulfill such an important role in serving the community.”

Postal Inspectors searched Jama's and May's homes Thursday. They found May had a firearm and the arrow key. The federal agents also found Jama had checks made out to other people on his person and in his home.

Both men are charged with aggravated robbery of a postal employee, a federal crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

According to the criminal complaints, the individuals involved with this scheme typically access Postal Service collection boxes during the night or early morning using the stolen arrow keys. The scheme participants often take checks from the stolen mail and alter them so they can deposit them.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Two Columbus-area men accused of robbing mail carrier at gunpoint