Chesapeake Duo Nabbed in Postal Heist & Fraud Scheme

NORFOLK, VA – Two Chesapeake men are headed to federal prison after a brazen scheme involving the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service carrier and the subsequent cashing of stolen checks and money orders. Isaiah J. Card, 24, and Dahnico Jharon McCoy, aka Donny, 22, were each sentenced to seven years behind bars on June 21st, bringing an end to a case that exposed a systematic targeting of the postal system.

The operation began unraveling on December 18, 2022, when Postal Inspectors and the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) staked out the Chesapeake Main Post Office. They observed Card’s vehicle arriving late at night, with McCoy and an unidentified accomplice exiting to illegally access blue mail collection boxes using an arrow key – a specialized U.S. Postal key capable of opening multiple mailboxes. Law enforcement quickly intervened, preventing the vehicle from fleeing as McCoy and his partner bolted on foot, abandoning a bag crammed with approximately 250 pieces of stolen mail. McCoy was apprehended, and officers recovered a jacket matching those used in at least five previous collection box break-ins.

A search of Card’s vehicle revealed a treasure trove of stolen checks and Western Union Money Orders, pilfered from prior heists. Many of these money orders had been “washed” – altered to remove the original payee information – and made out to McCoy and Card. The forged documents contained the names and account numbers of numerous victims whose mail had been compromised, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of their crimes. The investigation didn’t stop there.

The duo escalated their criminal activity on April 19, 2023, traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, where they robbed a mail carrier *at gunpoint* to steal another arrow key. McCoy brandished what appeared to be a firearm, intimidating the carrier into surrendering the key. The following day, they used the stolen key to plunder mail from numerous postal boxes in the Raleigh area. A week later, on April 27th, a traffic stop led to their arrest. Authorities recovered the stolen arrow key, a handgun, and at least 180 more stolen checks, some already altered for fraudulent use.

Both Card and McCoy eventually pled guilty to possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. handed down the seven-year sentences on June 21st, acknowledging the severity of their actions and the vulnerability they exploited.

“This case highlights the dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners in protecting the integrity of the mail,” stated 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky prosecuted the case. Further details are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia and through PACER, case number 2:23-cr-20.