Your mail carrier may be at risk. What we know about latest Florida robbery arrests
Robberies of mail carriers and mail theft and fraud are on the rise across the country, with Florida especially seeing multiple cases.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced on Friday, Dec. 1 the filing of two federal complaints charging five Florida individuals with armed robberies of United States Postal Letter Carriers in the Tampa area.
In October, Three Delray Beach men were arrested following a months long investigation into an alleged mail-fraud scheme in Palm Beach County.
It is a federal offense for someone who is not a postal service employee, and who is not on duty, to possess a postal key. Blanca Alvarez, spokesperson for the Miami Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, told The Palm Beach Post that the primary motive for someone to steal the mail because they want to take items of value.
Here's what to know about the U.S. Attorney's Office report and how you can protect your mail from robbers.
What is a criminal complaint?
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
What are the details the first criminal complaint?
The first complaint was from a Sept. 5 2023 incident in Tampa.
Tampa residents Jordan Michelle Brown (20), Jordan Murray (19), and Darine Underwood (18) robbed a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier at gunpoint as the carrier was delivering mail at a Temple Terrace apartment complex.
"Brown, Murray, and Underwood held the mail carrier at gunpoint while demanding his keys and attempting to remove the keys that were hooked to the mail carrier’s pants," the complaint states. "The individuals then grabbed the mail carrier’s cellphone and smashed it on the ground, before running to their getaway vehicle."
The complaint says the three individuals were charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier.
What details are in the second criminal complaint?
According to the second criminal complaint, the incident took place on Sept. 21 in Tampa.
Miramar residents Christopher Raymond (20) and Andre Hylton (19) robbed two Postal Letter Carriers as the carriers were delivering mail on their routes in South Tampa. The complaint states that the two individuals pointed a firearm at one of the carriers and demanded his serialized keys.
"Raymond and Hylton were ultimately identified through GPS data from their vehicle which revealed that they had traveled from Miramar to Tampa for the purpose of committing the armed robberies," the report reveals.
Raymond and Hylton have been charged with armed robbery and aiding and abetting the armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Another Tampa mail carrier robbery
In another separate case last month, 19-year-old Tampa resident Jahiem Faison was sentenced to over nine years in federal prison for armed robbery of a United States Postal Mail Carrier and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2022, Faison and a juvenile co-conspirator approached a U.S. Postal Letter Carrier as he was delivering mail at a Riverview apartment complex.
"Faison brandished a firearm, pressing the firearm into the mail carrier’s chest while demanding his keys. Faison kept the firearm pressed against the mail carrier while the carrier removed his keys and handed them to Faison’s juvenile co-conspirator," the report states.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit.
The two individuals will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa Spergel.
How much have mail robberies increased?
Mail thefts of high volume, including from blue collection boxes, rose from 38,500 in fiscal year 2022 to more than 25,000 in the first half of fiscal year 23, the Postal Service said back in May.
Between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022 (the Postal Service's 2022 fiscal year), 412 letter carriers were robbed while on duty. That has increased to 305 incidents from Oct. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 (the first half of the current fiscal year).
"The Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service have seen an increase in robberies of letter carriers and mail theft, as crime has risen across the country," said Michael Martel, U.S. postal inspector and national public information officer for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in a statement to USA TODAY in July of this year. The Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is the law enforcement, crime prevention, and security arm of the Postal Service.
What are the penalties for stealing mail or assaulting a mail carrier?
In an interview with the Associated Press, Michael Martel, spokesperson for the inspection service, told reporters that the left of mail carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, and possession, concealment or disposal of property carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Assault carries a sentence of up to 10 years for a first offense, and up to 25 years for a subsequent offense.
What is USPS doing to stop armed mail robberies? What are lawmakers doing?
Postal Service and USPIS released its plans to bolster protection for Postal Service employees and facilities and prevent mail theft in May, such as:
More secure collection boxes: The Postal Service plans to deploy 12,000 high-security collection boxes, which are more difficult for criminals to break into.
Electronic locks: The Postal Service is replacing 49,000 older locks that use keys with electronic locks. Thieves have robbed letter carriers for the keys to steal mail from secure mail receptacles, the Postal Service says.
In Washington, lawmakers are introducing a new bill that would allow postal police to patrol and protect letter carriers on duty. The "Postal Police Reform Act" was introduced to the U.S. Senate by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
“Letter carriers deserve to feel safe while on the job, and the Postal Police Reform Act will ensure that Postal Police Officers can adequately protect letter carriers from the real threats on their routes,” Durbin said in a statement.
A similar bill was previously introduced in the House in 2021 but stalled out.
Postal Service tips for avoiding mail theft, keeping carriers safe
Federal and local law enforcement officials urge residents to pick up delivered mail as quickly as possible and avoid leaving sensitive documents sitting in mail collection boxes overnight or over the weekend. Checks and financial documents should be brought inside the Post Office for mailing.
Mail tampering and fraud should immediately be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by submitting an online complaint at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. It offers these other tips to protect your mail and to eliminate risks to letter carriers.
Don't drop mail into a collection box at night. Take it into a post office.
You can sign up for the Informed Delivery program and the Postal Service will send you an online preview of what mail and packages are coming.
If you are going out of town, sign up to have your mail held at the post office
How can I stop any possible porch pirates during the holidays?
With the holiday approaching rapidly, porch pirates are also on the rise, ready to steal any unattended packages on your front door step. Online shoppers are encouraged to increase security by following State Farm's top tips to reduce chances of delivery theft:
Require a signature for package delivery
Use a package delivery box
Use security cameras visible from the street
Provide custom package delivery instructions
Deliver packages to your work
Find a neighbor
Contributing reporting: Mike Snider, USA Today Network
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Mail theft, armed robbery in Florida: Suspects in Tampa face charges
