A Fort Worth teen has owned up to hiding a stolen mail master key, in what wraps up a tale of deceit and thievery within the U.S. Postal Service. Willis Bender, 18, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to snagging a coveted "Arrow Key," after it was forcibly taken from a postal worker, said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton's office.
This key to the kingdom, a USPS "Arrow Key," opens up blue collection boxes and is a known target for mail bandits. The guilty plea surfaces following an incident last September, where it is reported by the U.S. Justice Department that a letter carrier in Everman, Texas, was held up at gunpoint, by a man demanding her "mailbox key."
Bender was tangled in conflicting stories when pressed by the law, at first denying any involvement, then weaving a tale of being threatened to partake in the heist. His stories ranged from being an unwilling spectator to sitting parked outside while the crime went down.
In what would be his final act of the saga, Bender claimed he found the key just lying there after the cops came snooping around. In an apparent panic move, Bender stashed the arrow key alongside his firearm, behind the air duct grill in his bedroom, he alleged. Now, the young man could spend the next 10 years reflecting on his actions in federal prison.
The case was unearthed by the eagle-eyed U.S. Postal Inspection Service with help from the local Everman Police Department, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas. As per Erin Dooley, press officer, the investigation shed light on the vulnerability of postal property and the severity of such federal crimes.
