Wilber Castellanos Hernandez, a 33-year-old undocumented Mexican citizen, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to carjacking a U.S. Postal Service truck and threatening the postal employee involved. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow.
In addition to his prison term, Hernandez received a sentence of 36 months of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,828.89 in restitution for damages caused to the postal vehicle and missing equipment.
Court documents reveal that on February 5, 2024, Hernandez stole the postal vehicle in Salt Lake City. He admitted to entering the truck after checking its door handle. When confronted by the postal employee, he brandished a knife before fleeing. Law enforcement tracked him using GPS technology and apprehended him shortly thereafter.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alongside an FBI Task Force Officer from the Salt Lake City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda prosecuted the case.
This incident is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. Launched on May 26, 2021, PSN focuses on fostering community trust, supporting preventive organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.
