Three Fort Worth men have been arrested and have pleaded guilty to the robbery of a U.S. letter carrier, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton announced.
Cedrick Eugene Mims, Danny Yogi Oriszul Powell, and Cameron Kemond Gist all admitted guilt to the robbery of property belonging to the United States.
Powell entered his plea on March 6, followed by Mims on March 13, and Gist on April 17.
The incident outlined in the plea documents occurred in Fort Worth on October 24, 2023, according to a press release.
The trio confronted a letter carrier, identified as C.S., with Mims brandishing a 39mm pistol, demanding the carrier’s “Arrow Key.”
The Arrow Key is a crucial master key used by the U.S. Postal Service for gathering mail from blue collection boxes, highly sought after by mail thieves.
In addition to the key, the men stole a postal scanner and the keys to the carrier’s vehicle, the release states.
Powell served as the getaway driver, while Gist supplied the firearms, according to plea statements.
Mims and Gist face up to 25 years in federal prison with a dangerous weapon enhancement, while Powell faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation with support from the Fort Worth Police Department.
The case is part of Project Safe Delivery (PSD), a collaborative initiative between the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
It is designed to combat postal crime and ensure the safety of postal employees and since its inception in May 2023, PSD has resulted in the arrest of over 213 individuals for postal-related robberies.
The approach has seen a 72% increase in arrests for postal-related robberies and a 35% decrease in mail theft complaints.