Fed up with a spree of brazen robberies targeting mail carriers, Uncle Sam is fighting back with a fat wad of cash — up to $150,000 in rewards — for the lowdown on the cold-blooded crooks. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service kicked off its bounty bonanza, announcing it was dropping big dollars for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of the sidewalk pirates who've been hitting up letter carriers in Dallas and Chicago.
In Dallas, a letter carrier was robbed on Dec. 28th near I-45 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, triggering a big-money response from the feds. Two mask-wearing muggers have so far gotten away with the heist, leaving authorities scrambling. While there were no reports of injuries in the incident, the postal inspectors have amped up their game, tripling the reward money and instituting newfangled electronic locks on collection boxes, according to WFAA.
"It's a serious crime," Sean Smith, a postal inspector, said, laying it on the line that federal muscle was now bearing down on the mailbox marauders. "It's a federal investigation. We believe these types of reward amounts are justified in order to go after the individuals that are harming our postal employees." And they're not kidding around – knocking over a mail carrier can slap a crook with a 10-year federal vacation, plus extras if the crime is particularly nasty, as per WFAA.
Meanwhile, back in South Chicago, thieves have been working overtime with three separate robberies rattling the U.S. Postal Service in December and January. The perps' profiles have been broadcast, but they're still running loose in the streets. Prying loose the lips that will sink these ships could pad someone's bank account, thanks to the Postal Inspection Service's hefty reward. Citizens though, are warned not to play hero – these thieves are considered dangerous, according to details scooped up by WGN-TV.
The Postal Inspection Service has a hotline – 1-877-876-2455 – and would like a word. Mention the case number that's tied to the robbery, and you might just help put a pin in this postal pandemonium. Just remember, snitches might just get riches, but don't try cashing in by grabbing the suspects – that's a job better left to the pros.
