Three Texas men are hanging their heads in shame after pleading guilty to the high-stakes armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier for a key to the treasure chest of other people's mail. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jlynn Laneil Dunn, Daylin Darden, and D Colby Vashion Lewis admitted they shook down the letter carrier last October at the business end of a handgun.
In a courtroom revelation, the defendants, aged between 21 and 24, fessed up to the crime spree, plotting to snag a universal master key that could unlock the Pandora's box of mailboxes across the city, as per plea papers. On May 8, Dunn, Darden, and Lewis pled guilty to robbery charges—approaching the postman, inflicting the fear of God, and swiping the key intended to collect mail from those ubiquitous blue boxes.
The Department of Justice reported that T.W., the victim in this case, was held at gunpoint on October 2, 2023, and ordered to hand over the USPS arrow key—a coveted item that gives unscrupulous actors a one-way ticket to a world of stolen identities and bank accounts.
Captured on camera, the robbery and the trio's flight were lifted straight out of a Hollywood script. Guns, drugs, purloined mail, and checks were some of the spoils of their ill-gotten gains found by law enforcement during a raid of an address linked to the bandits. Securing damning evidence, a DVR system at the residence held the prelude and aftermath of their hit, with Mr. Darden seen wielding a weapon that was a twin to the robbery's iron, and Mr. Dunn flaunting an object attached to the long gold chain used for carrying USPS arrow keys.
Further incriminating themselves, the DOJ says Mr. Dunn was caught on his Instagram sending a direct message just before the shakedown bragged, "I'm tryna go get us a key rn so I can get these real scam Money." The defendants are now grappling with the consequences of up to 10 years in federal lodging, with their sentencing scheduled for September 3.
The pinch was made possible by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with an assist from the Fort Worth and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck is leading the prosecution against this trio accused of treating the mail system like their personal piggy bank.
For more information, Erin Dooley, Press Officer, can be reached at 214-659-8707 or [email protected].
