VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Someone robbed a mail carrier on Monday afternoon and got away with mail, according to police.
The robbery happened shortly after 2 p.m. at the Independence at Town Center apartments. 
So far, it's unclear if anything valuable was in the mail, but neighbors say the mailman is a very nice guy.
"It really upset me because the gentleman is our normal mail carrier and is just as nice as can be," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified.
Investigators say robbing a mail carrier is actually a serious federal offense, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. In this case, additional charges could be possible because the robber stole mail.
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"The U.S. government protects mail pretty seriously," said MJ Romano, a team leader with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Fewer than 100 of these types of crimes happen around the country each year, according to Romano.
Now, both police and the Inspection Service are trying to pursue leads to catch this robber. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service hotline at 877-876-2455 (option 2) or the Virginia Beach Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
