TAMPA, Fla. — Two men from Tampa were sentenced to at least eight years in federal prison for armed robbery of a postal mail carrier and theft of postal keys, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Omar Miller, 23, and Christopher "Chico" Diaz, 27, pleaded guilty to the crime in January 2023. The two organized the robbery through phone calls and text messages with a getaway car driver, Edwin Betancourt Vega, authorities say.
Evidence presented at trial showed Miller robbed the postal carrier at gunpoint while she was delivering mail at an apartment complex, the news release says. It's reported that he approached the carrier from behind, pointed a firearm at her, threatened to shoot her and demanded the postal keys.
"After Miller stole the postal keys, he pushed the mail carrier to the ground and ran to a waiting getaway car," the DOJ said.
The three coordinated the robbery and sale of the postal keys in exchange for money, authorities said. Law enforcement was able to recover the postal keys in addition to money gained from the sale. They also recovered the gun used in the robbery which contained Miller's DNA, officials say.
Betancourt Vega was charged for his role in the robbery as the getaway driver and pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a postal mail carrier and theft of postal keys on Feb. 3, 2023, the DOJ said. He was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.
Miller was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison. He faced an additional charge of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. Diaz was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.
"Employee safety is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division Juan Vargas said in a statement.
