HAMPTON, Va. – A man has confessed to robbing a postal worker at gunpoint, according to documents obtained by 10 On Your Side. The incident occurred last May on Galax Street when Gary Saunders spotted two individuals wearing ski masks in the vicinity. One of the men, later identified as 21-year-old O’Sirus Ford, was brandishing a firearm. Despite the unsettling sight, Saunders continued his task of cutting the grass outside his home. Ford and his accomplice proceeded to ambush a U.S. postal worker, demanding his master key, also known as an arrow key. Fearing for his life, the mail carrier handed over the key, after which the perpetrators fled the scene. The shocking events left the neighborhood on high alert, unsure of whether Ford and his associate would strike again.
Court documents revealed that Ford had meticulously planned the robbery. Investigators discovered that Ford had joined a Facebook group called three keys, where members shared strategies for stealing arrow keys. The keys could then be sold on the black market or used for check fraud and identity theft. The day before the Hampton robbery, Ford admitted to another crime involving the theft of a postal worker’s keys on Ballentine Boulevard in Norfolk.
Ford recently pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and for using a firearm in a violent crime. The former carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of $250,000, while the latter carries a sentence of seven years to life imprisonment along with a $250,000 fine. The sentencing for Ford’s two accomplices, Da’Twan Watson and Jayden Stukes, is scheduled for this spring.
Jeannie Saunders, Gary’s wife, recalled the fear and uncertainty that gripped their neighborhood following the incident. We didn’t know where they were, if they had been caught, if they’d come back, she said. This unsettling episode also had a lasting impact on the traumatized mail carrier, who expressed a reluctance to continue his job after narrowly escaping with his life.
The gravity of this crime emphasizes the need for increased security and awareness within the postal service. Postal inspector M.J. Romano highlighted the importance of protecting postal workers and preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of this brazen robbery, it serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by those in essential service roles. The sentencing of Ford and his accomplices will hopefully provide a sense of justice and closure to both the affected postal worker and the homeowners who witnessed the crime unfold.
