New Jersey man guilty of postal robberies and burglaries

PORTLAND — A New Jersey man admitted Tuesday in federal court to charges related to the robberies of two U.S. mail carriers and the burglaries of two U.S. Post Offices in central Maine.

Lance Funderburk, 31, of Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to four felonies, including two counts of robbery of a U.S. mail carrier, each punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 each.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud U.S. mail carriers and U.S. Post Office robbery, and one count of robbing a U.S. Post Office.

Each of these offenses carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Prosecutors agreed Funderburk should be allowed to appeal any sentence longer than 105 months.

He could be required to pay approximately $2,000 for damage to two post offices, $1,074 for a laptop stolen from one post office and $1,740 for stolen checks cashed by Funderburk and his co-defendant.

Investigators said Funderburk and an accomplice, Winston O. McLeod, 31, of Auburn, robbed two mail carriers in Lewiston and robbed post offices in Paris and North Monmouth in January.

McLeod pleaded guilty to the same charges. like Funderburk, plus another US Post Office robbery.

His sentencing has not been scheduled.

Funderburk was arrested Jan. 22 in Rumford in connection with the alleged burglaries and robberies.

On Jan. 20, postal inspectors were notified of an armed robbery of two mail carriers in Lewiston within minutes of each other, according to affidavits found in court documents.

None of the carriers were injured.

The first robbery took place at 20 Davis Street; the second at 480 Main St., according to the affidavit.

Both carriers were threatened with knives.

According to testimony, the robbers demanded the keys from the carriers.

Later, during a search of the vehicle, police found several checks made out to different payees, believed to be related to the burglaries and robberies.

According to the affidavit, the Paris post office was broken into through a window, under which investigators found two cellphones in the snow.

On one of the phone’s lock screens was an image of a man and a woman. Using facial recognition software, analysts were able to determine that the man in the image was McLeod.

Later, during a search of the car in which Funderburk was hiding, police found evidence linking him to the crimes, including work gloves; lighters; petrolatum; various keys, including those stolen during robberies; keychain; black multitool; $1,005 cash; black matte butterfly knife; and four cellphones, according to the affidavit.

Funderburk was called to the Rumford Police Department, where he was arrested and later charged.

During a search of Funderburk, officers found two postal keys, according to the affidavit.