The victim reported seeing part of a firearm sticking out of the defendant’s pocket.
SUNNYVALE – A 32-year-old San Jose man has been charged with robbing a United States Postal Service mail carrier late last year in Sunnyvale, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The defendant, identified as James Luna, approached the mail carrier just before 4 p.m. on Dec. 30, 2022, and demanded her postal keys, prosecutors said in a news release Tuesday. The mail carrier reported seeing the grip of a gun sticking out of his pocket.
The mail carrier handed over the keys, prosecutors said, adding that the keys are used to open USPS mailboxes in a designated area.
Luna is charged with robbery of a mail carrier and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The announcement follows an Oct. 10 news conference in which U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez discussed a recent increase in mail delivery-related crimes, including postal key thefts, mail carrier assaults and postal vehicle break-ins.
U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey, at the same news conference, said several suspects have been arrested throughout the Bay Area and are now facing severe federal penalties.