8 years for man who robbed postal worker and UPS driver of p...

A man accused of robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier and a UPS driver of packages he hoped contained new phones has pleaded guilty and received an eight-year prison sentence.

We first reported on David Atwater when prosecutors said he robbed a female postal worker in the 11500 block of South May Street on October 4, 2024. Officials said Atwater entered the woman's postal truck with a hand in his pocket and told her, "This is a robbery. Don't move. Where's the phones at? You move, I shoot."

He allegedly took three packages from the truck and fled on a scooter. The mail carrier recognized him because he lives on her route, and she even found his Facebook profile, which showed him wearing the same mint green sweater he allegedly wore during the robbery, prosecutors said.

Investigators later linked Atwater to the robbery of a UPS delivery driver on November 23, 2024. Around 3:30 that afternoon, the courier was walking to a home in the 11500 block of South Elizabeth Street when Atwater pulled up in an SUV and confronted him.

"I'm going to shoot you," he allegedly warned, while keeping a hand in his hoodie pocket as if he had a gun. "Just walk to the back of the truck."

When Atwater demanded phones, the 51-year-old driver told him he didn't know which boxes contained them.

"Don't say anything. I'll kill you right here," Atwater threatened. "Now give me the phones."

The driver handed over a few random boxes to make Atwater leave, according to a CPD report. Like the postal worker, the UPS driver recognized Atwater from his route. The CPD report noted that the UPS driver had a security guard assigned to work with him that day, but the guard had stepped away "momentarily," giving Atwater an opening.

Atwater has now pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery, according to court records. Judge Michael Pattarozzi sentenced him to two concurrent eight-year prison terms. He must serve half of that time before becoming eligible for parole on November 22, 2028.