Two Ocala men, Jacoby Jules Colon and Darius Rodney Capers, have been sentenced to federal prison in connection with their robbery spree of postal carriers.
Colon was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers, armed postal robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Capers was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers and attempted robbery of a postal carrier. Both had pleaded guilty in July 2023.
According to court records, Colon and Capers robbed three postal carriers. In addition, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier. On September 14, 2022, Colon and Capers robbed a postal carrier in Ft. Lauderdale and stole his arrow key, which is a master key used to open U.S. mail receptacles. A few weeks later, on October 4th and 6th, the men robbed two postal carriers in Orlando and stole their arrow keys. During the October 6th robbery, Colon brandished a firearm and threatened the carrier. During all three robberies, Capers was the lookout and getaway driver. On October 25, 2022, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier in Tampa but abandoned his effort when the carrier resisted.
U.S. Postal Inspectors witnessed Capers and Colon using one of the stolen arrow keys to access a mail collection box in the parking lot of the Azalea Park Post Office in Orlando. The pair admitted to stealing mail to further engage in check fraud.
U.S. Postal Inspectors executed search warrants at a hotel in Orlando where Capers had been staying and at the homes of Colon and Capers in Ocala. They recovered several pieces of stolen mail, fraudulent checks, ski masks, and several firearms. They also located a photo sent by Colon to Capers which depicted one of the stolen arrow keys worn by Colon.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta. United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza sentenced Colon and Capers.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
