USPS offers $50K reward after armed robbery of mail carrier

The U.S. Postal Service is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two suspects following an armed robbery of a mail carrier in Groveton.

The incident occurred around 11:35 a.m. in the 6800 block of Deer Run Drive on March 7. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, a man approached a USPS employee, displayed a knife and “demanded property.”

A resident who appeared to talk with police said on a Nextdoor post suggested that mailbox keys were stolen. Michael Martel, a U.S. Postal Inspector Service spokesperson, didn’t address questions regarding details of the incident.

“The US Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our partners at the Fairfax County Police Department to investigate this incident,” Martel said in an email to FFXnow.

In another incident just minutes earlier in the 6000 block of Sandlin Court, a man approached another USPS employee and implied he had a weapon, police said.

The worker ran away without giving up any property. Authorities listed that incident as an attempted robbery.

“We believe the two incidents…are related, involving the same subjects,” Martel wrote, a belief that detectives also share.

The suspects were described as wearing black hooded sweatshirts and ski masks and were last seen fleeing east on North Kings Highway in the direction of I-495, USPS said.

They allegedly fled in a four-door, black sedan believed to be a 2015-2017 Hyundai Sonata.

The pair was described as 5 foot 7 inches to 5 foot 9 inches in height with thin builds and aged 18-25 and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to USPS.

People with information are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, say “law enforcement” on the audio prompt and reference case no. 3687960.

Brenda Dreesbach, president of the Deer Run Crossing Homeowners’ Association said yesterday (Tuesday) that the association has notified the neighborhood and suggested that all members of the community check their mailbox on a regular basis.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the USPS has changed locks for residents’ mailboxes. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service declined to answer various questions, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.