Dion Edward Thompson, USPS Robbery, CT 2014

A former East Hartford man has admitted to robbing more than $21,817 from a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint during a brazen heist outside a Hartford post office in 2014. Dion Edward Thompson, 39, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to one count of robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, a charge that carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

The robbery occurred on September 9, 2014, at the Barry Square Post Office on 645 Maple Avenue. Surveillance and witness testimony confirm that Thompson and an accomplice, armed with what appeared to be a firearm, ambushed a postal worker as the employee loaded daily proceeds into a postal vehicle at the loading dock. The two men fled with approximately $21,817 in cash, checks, and money orders.

Thompson did not act alone, prosecutors confirmed, but his co-conspirator remains at large as the investigation continues. Court documents describe the incident as a coordinated attack executed during broad daylight, exploiting the routine nature of postal operations. The presence of a weapon — real or simulated — elevated the charge to a federal felony.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, who oversaw the announcement, emphasized the danger posed to federal workers performing routine duties. “This was not just a theft — it was a violent assault on a public servant,” Daly said. “Those who target federal employees will face the full weight of the law.”

Thompson is currently in federal custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on April 20, 2017. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah R. Slater and Douglas P. Morabito are prosecuting the case, citing clear evidence from the scene, including video footage and witness identification.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with critical support from the Hartford Police Department and the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Police Department. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information about the second suspect to come forward as the manhunt continues.