Chesapeake men sentenced for armed robbery of letter carrier and cashing stolen checks and money orders

NORFOLK, Va. – Two Chesapeake men were sentenced to prison for bank fraud, identity theft, and armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier.

According to court documents, on Dec. 18, 2022, Postal Inspectors along with the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) conducted surveillance at the Chesapeake Main Post Office. They observed a vehicle arriving at 11:37 p.m. Two people exited the vehicle and used an arrow key to access the blue mail collection boxes while the driver, Isaiah J. Card, 24, remained in the vehicle. An arrow key is a U.S. Postal key with an engraved symbol and a serial number. Arrow keys open various types of mailboxes in a specific area, including blue collection boxes and apartment panel mailboxes.

When the two individuals who stole mail from the collection boxes ran back to the vehicle, law enforcement prevented the vehicle from leaving. While Postal Inspectors detained Card, CPD pursued the other two individuals, who fled on foot. The fleeing suspects abandoned their bag filled with approximately 250 pieces of stolen mail. CPD was able to locate one of the two, Dahnico Jharon McCoy, aka Donny, 22. Officers also found clothing McCoy discarded as he fled, which included the same distinct jacket seen in at least five prior collection box break-ins.

A search of the vehicle revealed numerous stolen checks and Western Union Money Orders that had been stolen from previous mail heists. Some of the money orders had been “washed" and made out in McCoy and Card’s names. These forged money orders contained the names and account numbers of various victims who had their mail stolen.

On April 19, 2023, Card and McCoy traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, and, while armed with a firearm, robbed a mail carrier for another arrow key. McCoy made a motion indicating to the mail carrier that he possessed a firearm, and the pair fled. On April 20, 2023, mail from a number of postal boxes in the Raleigh area was stolen using that arrow key. On April 27, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted on their vehicle and Card and McCoy were arrested. A search of their vehicle revealed the stolen arrow key, a handgun, and at least 180 stolen checks, some of which had already been washed.

On Feb. 8, 2024, McCoy and Card pled guilty to possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. On June 21, McCoy was sentenced to seven years in prison. Card was sentenced today to seven years in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-20.