CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is offering up to $50,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who robbed a mail carrier in Chesapeake.
Because the post office is a quasi-federal agency, robbing a letter carrier is a federal offense. If convicted, the penalty is up to 25 years in federal prison, according to postal inspectors.
The crime happened Monday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., a tweet from USPIS says. The postal employee was in the 900 block of Providence Road, which is near the Crosswinds Apartments complex, when the suspect approached.
A spokesperson with USPIS said the suspect walked up to the mail carrier, demanded United States Postal Service (USPS) property and ran away, holding what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband. The mail carrier did not report any physical injuries.
Neighbor Lee Carson told 13News Now he did not know about the incident until we informed him. Still, he felt dismay.
"It's sad. It's sad that crime is going up like that around here," said Carson.
USPIS investigators think the robber was a young man wearing a pink hoodie and gray sweatpants.
It is unclear to us what items the suspect took off with.
However, for neighbors like Carson, the situation is worrying.
"I hope he's caught, I hope he's caught because that makes no sense robbing people in broad daylight. That could have been somebody's momma, uncle, anything," he added.
If you know anything that could help, you could be eligible for the reward. Call 877-876-2455 and say "law enforcement" to share a tip. Officials are asking the public not to apprehend the suspect themselves.