POLK COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates has been covering these robberies for nearly two years and learned in this case that the suspect got away with the carrier’s universal arrow key.
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The robberies have been targeting residents’ mail and personal information.
Channel 9 Investigative Reporter Karla Ray spoke with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd about what he believes is a large-scale operation.
In a new surveillance video, a man is seen running, tripping, and then standing up with a gun in his hand, pointing in the face of a Poinciana postal worker earlier this month.
Read: Sensitive mail at risk in Conway area after postal carrier robbed
Judd said, “As you look at this video, you see our robber is not that sophisticated. He’s wearing Crocs. He trips and falls down, but then he gets up in that lady’s face with a gun for this small key.”
Judd said this latest robbery- is like so many others.
The target- is a universal ‘arrow key’- used to open blue and cluster mailboxes all over the region.
Read: Another postal worker robbed gunpoint, what the thieves were targeting?
Judd said, “The guy who stole the key is probably paid only to rob the person of the key by this larger group. Then they’ll go through the boxes, get personal identifications, get checks, and do white-collar crime and online computer crime.”
Judd said he thinks the robberies we’ve seen all along the I-4 corridor could be connected and a ‘key’ to a larger organization of white-collar crime.
“This is no small operation; this is no crazy guy after the key. We believe the robber can be paid up to five grand just for stealing the key,” Judd said.
The Polk County Sheriffs Office said the mail carrier wasn’t hurt.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of $150-thousand for tips leading to an arrest in this case.
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