MIDDLETOWN, Kentucky — The Middletown Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspector are investigating after a United States Postal Services (USPS) mail carrier was robbed at gunpoint.
On Wednesday, Middletown Police Chief Robert Herman confirmed it happened on Dec. 29 near the mailbox office at the Meridian on Shelbyville apartment complex.
Authorities say the suspect zip tied the postal worker, then stole his keys and cellphone before driving off in an older model black Dodge Charger.
"We discovered he indeed had been help up at gunpoint," Chief Herman said. "He did tell us he was fearful for his safety."
It's common for residents to leave their mail in the big blue USPS drop-off boxes, but police are warning to think twice before you ship anything of value.
Herman said there's a direct link between what's inside and the crimes being committed against postal workers.
Herman called it "a trend" officers are noticing more often in Jefferson County and across the country. Criminals are targeting the keys to the blue drop-off boxes to then break in and sift through the mail looking for gift cards and checks.
"We've seen an uptick in the reports of checks being washed, where they've erased the information on the check, re-wrote the check and issued it to themselves or to another company," Herman said.
The police chief said there have been numerous people who have lost a lot of their hard-earned cash from the mail boxes being broken into.
Nicole Lutz, a regional USPS postal inspector in Cincinnati, says she doesn't seem to see a pattern with these incidents, differing from Herman's observations.
But in Louisville, last summer there were two incidents where postal workers were robbed by suspects with a knife or gun.
Police say those investigations remain open as they search for answers and determine if they are somehow connected.
"There's probably not an agency that hasn't been hit with this type of criminal activity," Herman said.
Authorities now urge residents to mail any valuables inside the post office, rather than the drop-off box, if possible.
If you have any information regarding this case or suspect, who is still at large, you are asked to call the department's tip line at 502-755-4673.
WHAS11 asked USPS Operations spokesperson Susan Wright if any changes have been made as a result of these incidents, to enhance safety for mail carriers. Wright said for "security reasons, we don't comment on operational procedures."
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