UPS Hijack/Shootout in Fla-- Why the Feebies?

[blues]

I have nothing constructive to say that addresses the question, but I do want to say that I appreciate the insight from the LEO members who have dealt with these situations. I am always amazed by the collective experience of the P-F.com members.

Interestingly enough, back when I was in the Florida Joint Task Group we would borrow a UPS truck and one of our DEA agents would get into uniform and drive the vehicle to deliver narcotics on a "controlled delivery". It never happened during my time, but I always wondered what mayhem would ensue if a couple of goblins tried to commandeer the truck while our guy was aboard and numerous agents and the locals assigned to the task force were surveilling it.

(Had something like that happen with a couple of young fellas in a precarious section of Brooklyn where our surveillance van was made up to look like one from the phone company. My partner and I saw the two guys approaching with the intent of opening the rear van doors to rip off whatever gear wasn't bolted down, and were extremely surprised to find a couple of surly dudes with guns pointed at them for their efforts once they opened them. We just told 'em to go and sin no more as we had bigger fish to fry that day.)

[HCM]

Maybe these suspects were also involved in bank / atm / armored car robberies in addition to the jewelry store robbery.

On another note, I've never seen a chase that has 30+ cars in it and multiple agencies involved not turn into a shitshow.


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The Hobbs Act, 18 USC 1951 makes robbery and extortion affecting interstate commerce a federal crime. It is often applied to armored car robberies but UPS is, essentially an interstate trucking / delivery company so the robbery or attempted robbery of a UPS driver could fall under the Hobbs act on similar predication.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbs_Act

[JTQ]

https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/12/0...r-ronnie-hill/

The FBI has identified the two armed robbers who were killed Thursday after police say they ripped off a jewelry store, stole a UPS truck and kidnapped the driver, then led police a pursuit through two counties which led to a deadly shootout.

They are Lamar Alexander, 41, and Ronnie Jerome Hill, 41, both of Miami-Dade County, according to the FBI.

I notice one of the UPS truck hijackers was named Lamar Alexander. Any of our Tennessee members care to comment?

https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/

[andre3k]

This is the most likely scenario. With multiple agencies involved and a citizen killed, the need for an impartial investigation by a source not involved is paramount.

The impartiality comment made me chuckle a bit. The FBI Swat team killed the hostage they were trying to rescue a while back. At least they have experience with this type of investigation. I wasn't there that night but I know people that were.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...igates-n968451

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[UNM1136]

The Hobbs Act, 18 USC 1951 makes robbery and extortion affecting interstate commerce a federal crime. It is often applied to armored car robberies but UPS is, essentially an interstate trucking / delivery company so the robbery or attempted robbery of a UPS driver could fall under the Hobbs act on similar predication.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbs_Act

I think so...

pat

[Trooper224]

The impartiality comment made me chuckle a bit. The FBI Swat team killed the hostage they were trying to rescue a while back. At least they have experience with this type of investigation. I wasn't there that night but I know people that were.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...igates-n968451

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Perhaps "an outside, uninvolved agency" might have been better verbiage.

It's been my experience the FBI does many things well, but boots on the ground LE work isn't one of them.

[Stephanie B]

I have nothing constructive to say that addresses the question, but I do want to say that I appreciate the insight from the LEO members who have dealt with these situations. I am always amazed by the collective experience of the P-F.com members.

I'll second that sentiment.

[txdpd]

Maybe these suspects were also involved in bank / atm / armored car robberies in addition to the jewelry store robbery.

On another note, I've never seen a chase that has 30+ cars in it and multiple agencies involved not turn into a shitshow.


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This would be my guess. Unlike the movies, the folks doing banks or jewelry stores aren’t doing that one lick to pay for mama’s heart transplant. They don’t stop until they in prison or the morgue.

[HCM]

This would be my guess. Unlike the movies, the folks doing banks or jewelry stores aren’t doing that one lick to pay for mama’s heart transplant. They don’t stop until they in prison or the morgue.

And IME they travel, at least regionally. The same people also tend to dabble in robbery and burglary of gun stores.

As I mentioned earlier, UPS and other common carriers often wind up delivering high-value items like narcotics jewelry firearms etc. I don’t know how prevalent it is today but 20 or 30 years ago UPS drivers often delivered to businesses COD and could wind up collecting cans of thousands of dollars, especially During a busy season. Due to the high value items and some large cash COD’s UPS used to employ retired police as security. They would usually Ride as a “drivers helper.”

[TC215]

I’m guessing Hobbs Act.

The FBI shows up at every one of our bank robberies. They usually piggyback of our investigation but they have the national overview which helps since so many bank robbers move from state to state.

If these guys were a serial robbery crew I could see the FBI interest.

FBI has to do a report on every bank robbery and send it to HQ whether they do the actual investigation or not.