FLORIDA – Two Florida men have pleaded guilty to charges connected to a robbery spree of postal carriers in Florida.
The men, Jacoby Jules Colon, 20, of Ocala, and Darius Rodney Capers, 19, of Ocala, pled guilty last week, said United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Colon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob postal carriers, armed postal robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy offense, up to 25 years of imprisonment for the robbery offenses, and a minimum mandatory consecutive sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison for the firearm offense.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 20, 2023.
Capers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob postal carriers and attempted robbery of a postal carrier. Capers faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 18, 2023.
According to their plea agreements, Colon and Capers robbed three postal carriers. In addition, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier. On September 14, 2022, Colon and Capers robbed a postal carrier in Ft. Lauderdale and stole his arrow key, which is a master key used to open U.S. mail receptacles.
Then, on October 4 and October 6, 2022, the pair robbed two postal carriers in Orlando, stealing their arrow keys. During the October 6 robbery, Colon brandished a firearm and threatened the carrier. Capers was the lookout and getaway driver during all three robberies, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).
On October 25, 2022, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier in Tampa but abandoned his effort when the carrier resisted.
According to the USAO, U.S. Postal Inspectors witnessed Capers and Colon using one of the stolen arrow keys to access a mail collection box in the parking lot of the Azalea Park Post Office. The pair admitted to stealing mail to further engage in check fraud.
U.S. Postal Inspectors executed search warrants at a hotel in Orlando where Capers had been staying and at the homes of Colon and Capers in Ocala. They reportedly recovered several pieces of stolen mail, fraudulent checks, ski masks, and several firearms. They also located a photo sent by Colon to Capers, which depicted one of the stolen arrow keys worn by Colon, said the USAO.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta is prosecuting it.
