A U.S. Post Office mail carrier was robbed while on the job in Fairfax County Wednesday, and police are looking for the suspects who stole keys that can access blue mail collection boxes.
Two men approached the mail carrier near Greensboro Drive in McLean before 11:30 a.m. One said he had a gun and demanded the carrier’s keys, police said.
They were last seen leaving the scene in a two-door orange Honda Civic. The postal worker was not hurt, police said.
Police are still looking for the suspects.
Postal inspector Hunter Lenz says the men could face federal robbery charges that could lead to up to 25 years in prison. A reward of up to $50,000 is available for information in the case. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call 877-876-2455.
Thirty-five postal carriers have been robbed in the D.C. area since the start of last year.
“It’s very concerning,” Lenz said.
The USPS Inspector General says the keys used by postal workers are universal keys — called arrow keys — that can be used to access collection boxes, cluster box units and apartment panels. Generally, supervisors assign one key per route, the agency’s website says.