Man charged with assault, extortion of couple in violent Seattle home invasion while posing as postal worker

A 31-year-old man is accused of posing as a US Postal Service carrier before forcing his way into a North Seattle home and violently assaulting a couple in what prosecutors describe as a highly planned extortion scheme.

Ian Alexander Blair is charged in King County Superior Court with first-degree burglary, first-degree extortion, two counts of second-degree assault, and first-degree criminal impersonation. According to court documents obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, on Feb. 20 near Green Lake, officers responded to reports of an assault and found Blair wrestling with a homeowner inside the residence. Police say he was wearing a full US Postal Service uniform and carrying a mail bag. Underneath the uniform, officers discovered he was wearing a full Tyvek suit.

Prosecutors allege Blair used the disguise to get the homeowner to open the door. Court documents state he handed the homeowner what appeared to be certified mail and instructed him to open and read it in his presence. The letter allegedly demanded 10 bitcoins in exchange for information related to an ongoing civil case and threatened to provide damaging information to the opposing side if payment was not made.

When the homeowner began reading the letter, prosecutors say Blair pushed his way inside and assaulted him. The man’s wife came from another part of the house after hearing the commotion and attempted to intervene. She told officers she was punched multiple times and briefly strangled, restricting her breathing for several seconds. The homeowner was later diagnosed with a fractured sternum, a possible fractured rib, and a fractured toe, according to police.

Two neighbors reported hearing cries for help and ran across the street to assist. One called 911. Officers took Blair into custody at the scene. Inside the mail carrier bag, investigators say they found what appeared to be a cell phone jammer, rolls of heavy-duty plastic bags, zip ties, two taser devices, Gorilla tape, a tourniquet, a “trac” phone, Faraday bags, black gloves, and clothing items that could obscure a person’s face. Prosecutors described the alleged conduct as involving “a high degree of sophistication and planning.”

Charging documents state Blair did not have identification indicating he worked for the Postal Service and has no prior criminal history, according to prosecutors. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested that bail be set at $1 million and that, if released, Blair be placed on electronic home detention and have no contact with the victims. The judge set bail at $1 million, and Blair’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 am March 2 in King County Superior Court.