Pittsburgh police said this was the first arrow key theft in the city.
Two men in their 20s robbed the letter carrier at a gas station on North Negley Avenue, according to police. The robbers were not armed.
“It’s an incredible amount of mail that’s easily accessible if you have one of those keys, so those keys are in high demand. They’re being sold on the dark web. The current price is about $5,000,” said Frank Albergo, the national president of the Postal Police Officers Association.
Area residents said they were alarmed to learn of the robbery.
“That’s a big concern if you’re expecting tax returns or you’re expecting money,” said Marion Henderson Jr. of East Liberty.
“I know there’s got to be something that they could do about it because that’s a lot of information that could be stolen and used against you,” said Terrell Glenn of East Liberty.
A statement from the Postal Inspection Service said in part, “We are working with our local law enforcement partners to follow up on all leads.”
Source: Postal master key stolen in Garfield
