The U.S. Postal Service hopes a hefty reward will help solve the robbery of a mail carrier. NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero reports the USPS is also responding to mail carrier’s concerns about their safety on the job.
A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered for information leading federal authorities to the person who robbed a letter carrier in Fort Worth.
The robbery happened at approximately 4:45 p.m. on March 15 at the Slate apartments along Wellesley Avenue off Hulen Street.
Sean Smith is a U.S. Postal Inspector in the Fort Worth Division and is investigating the crime.
“We’ve issued a reward of up to $150,000,” he said.
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Smith didn’t see whether the suspect was armed but can confirm the letter carrier was not injured.
This is the latest in a string of robberies against mail carriers, many armed, reported at apartment complexes from Dallas to Fort Worth in recent months.
Criminals are typically after mail carrier’s keys used to open collection or cluster boxes, steal letters and commit fraud or identity theft, said Smith.
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The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, is not able to disclose information about active cases or confirm whether arrests have been made in any of the area’s previous robberies.
“But rest assured the Postal Inspectors are out there working with local partners and federal partners to bring anyone who harms our carriers to justice,” he said. “It’s a serious matter. It’s a federal felony.”
The suspect in the March 15 robbery is described as a Black male, believed to be in his early 20s with a thin build, about 5’8”, last seen wearing a black hoodie with an off-white logo on the front, black shorts with a green stripe, black socks, and black flip-flops.
Smith says the federal ‘Project Safe Delivery’ program aims at reducing crimes against postal employees by improving security and increasing rewards.
According to federal data, robbery of on-duty postal employees has increased in recent years, including 423 robberies in 2022. A fraction of robbery cases actually end in arrests and convictions which can carry prison sentences of up to ten years.
Smith says the latest figures show Project Safe Delivery is reducing crimes against letter carriers.
“The electronic locking mechanisms that are being installed, we have some installed in DFW, it makes it hard for criminals to use those keys,” he said. “It makes them worthless.”
Smith cannot specify how many safety improvements have been added in North Texas or where.
The postal inspector vows to track down anyone who targets their federal employees.
“Postal inspectors will be there to investigate and we leave no stone unturned,” he said.
Anyone with information on the robbery is urged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and respond by saying ‘law enforcement’ when prompted.
Reference case number 4272276-ROBB.
All information is kept strictly confidential.
