Man who robbed mail carrier in Colerain Twp. gets over seven years in prison

A man who pleaded guilty to robbing a postal service worker at gunpoint in Colerain Township has been sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison.

Court documents show 19-year-old Lamarion Gray used a gun to rob a postal worker near Cliffside Drive on July 12, 2023. Gray stole the carrier's arrow key and vehicle key. Arrow keys provide access to bulk mail collectors before running away. Surveillance footage captured the robbery and showed Gray going to his girlfriend's home.

When inspectors executed a search warrant at Gray's residence, they found stolen mail — including several stolen checks.

Gray pleaded guilty to one count of robbery of U.S. property on March 1. His 90-month sentence includes five years of supervised release after he completes prison time. He also owes $14,176 in restitution to the victim.

"This case is part of a series of mail thefts and bank frauds that have victimized the Greater Cincinnati area over the past few years," Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said in a release. "Armed assault on a postal worker has a significant, negative impact on all letter carriers, and eventually on everyone in the community who relies on the U.S. Postal Service."

After Gray's guilty plea, Parker noted Gray was one of at least a dozen defendants charged in 2022 with crimes related to postal robberies and mail theft.

In 2023, USPS began installing higher-security blue mailboxes across the country to combat increased robberies. Those collectors do not have a door where thieves can reach mail and have electronic locking mechanisms. USPS said in March they expect more of those collectors to be installed in "high postal crime areas" across all 50 states.

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