Federal jury finds Florida man guilty of armed robbery of postal carrier

FLORIDA – A Florida man has been found guilty of the armed robbery of a postal carrier, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury has found Omar Rochester Miller, Jr., 23, of Tampa, guilty of armed robbery of a postal carrier, theft of postal keys, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery. Miller faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison for the armed robbery, 10 years for the theft of postal keys, and a minimum mandatory seven years imprisonment for brandishing the firearm. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 3, 2023.

Miller, along with Christopher Diaz, a.k.a. Chico, was indicted on December 7, 2021. Diaz pleaded guilty on January 10, 2023, to the armed robbery of a postal carrier and theft of postal keys. His sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2023.

Edwin Betancourt Vega was also charged for his role in the robbery and pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a postal carrier and theft of postal keys. His sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, Miller robbed a postal carrier at gunpoint while she was delivering mail to an apartment complex. Miller reportedly approached the postal carrier from behind, pointed a firearm at her, threatened to shoot her, and demanded her postal keys.

After Miller successfully stole the postal keys, he reportedly pushed the carrier to the ground and ran to a waiting getaway car driven by Betancourt Vega.

The robbery was allegedly organized through phone calls and text messages between Betancourt Vega and Diaz to coordinate the robbery and sale of the postal keys in exchange for cash, the USAO said.

According to the USAO, during the investigation, law enforcement recovered the postal keys, as well as proceeds from the sale of the key from both Miller and Betancourt Vega, along with the firearm used in the robbery, which contained Miller’s DNA.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Stacie B. Harris.