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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 18-year-olds plead guilty to robbing USPS workers
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says Coleman and Dixon are linked to at least eight robberies over the course of four months.
DALLAS - Two men from North Texas were given federal prison sentences for a string of robberies targeting postal workers.
Jerrad Coleman, 18, and Louis Dixon, 18, were arrested back in April after police said they went around the Dallas-Fort Worth area looking for mail carriers to rob in hopes of stealing an Arrow Key.
The master keys are used to open blue collection mailboxes. Thieves steal them for easier access to mailed checks, credit cards, bank statements, and other personal information.
FILE - A USPS logo is seen on a mailbox. (John Smith/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
In a span of about four months, prosecutors said Coleman and Dixon committed eight robberies involving mail carriers in Fort Worth, Dallas Arlington, and Frisco.
They had at least one Arrow Key on them when they were arrested.
According to United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton, Coleman and Dixon both pleaded guilty to robbery of property of the U.S. and conspiracy to rob and unlawfully possess property of the U.S.
They were sentenced on Tuesday for what the judge called a "heinous offense."
Two 18-year-olds plead guilty to robbing USPS workers across DFW
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says Coleman and Dixon are linked to at least eight robberies over the course of four months.
"Violence against letter carriers not only puts federal workers in fear for their lives, but also undermines the functioning of the U.S. postal system," Simonton said. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute individuals that endanger our Postal colleagues and the system as a whole."
"[This] sentencing serves as a notice to those who wish to commit violent acts against U.S. Postal Service employees," added Kai Pickens, the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division. "U.S. Postal Service employees are delivering across America and deserve to work in their communities free from danger."
Coleman received a 12.5-year federal prison sentence, while Dixon was sentenced to 9 years.