Spate of Bay Area mail carrier robberies under investigation
RICHMOND - It's another busy day for Matthew Norfleet, a US Postal Inspector leading the charge against a series of robberies targeting postal workers in the Bay Area.
According to Norfleet, at least eight robberies have been reported since Friday, signaling a concerning trend. One recent incident involved a female postal worker being robbed by four masked individuals in Walnut Creek. The primary target of the robbery wasn't the mail being carried, but rather the key carried by the postal worker herself.
"Our primary focus is ensuring the victim's safety and conducting a thorough investigation," said Norfleet.
At the USPS building in Richmond, federal agents collaborate to address the increasing number of robberies targeting postal workers.
"We investigate over 200 federal crimes related to the mail and safety, but the most important thing we do is to work with our postal worker's safety while they're working out there," Norfleet explained.
Norfleet emphasized that while robberies targeting postal workers are not new, they have become more common due to the rise of dark web sales. Criminals exploit the market for stolen postal master keys, putting postal workers at risk and compromising the integrity of the postal system.
"These postal master keys are sold on the dark web, where profit takes precedence over quality," explained Norfleet.
"Possession of these keys is a crime, even if there's no proof that you used it for a crime... If any of you out there know anybody who has them, we absolutely wanna talk to you," Norfleet emphasized.