Man sentenced to nearly 2 decades in prison for kidnapping and robbing US postal workers
PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced on Tuesday that a 55-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison for multiple attacks against US postal workers.
September 2021, authorities say James Chandler pleaded guilty in to charges in connection with two incidents that occurred on January 11 and February 4, 2021. Authorities say Chandler robbed postal workers using a fake handgun, forcing them into their postal trucks and stealing packages from inside the truck. During the incident in February, Chandler forced a postal worker to drive him several blocks in her postal truck before he fled on foot.
"Targeting and violently assaulting employees of the U.S. Postal Service is a serious federal crime," said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. "Mail carriers provide an essential service to nearly every citizen and business, oftentimes going above and beyond to execute their duties in challenging circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic."
Chandler's case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve. The goal of the project is to reduce violent crime to make the neighborhood safer for everyone.
Chandler was charged with two counts of robbery and one count of kidnapping a postal worker and sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison.