From the U.S. Attorney:
Federal Indictment Charges Two Men with Assaulting and Robbing U.S. Postal Service Mail Carrier in Chicago
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted two men for allegedly assaulting and robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Chicago.
KYLER REESE and CHAUN ALLEN robbed the mail carrier on Nov. 16, 2022, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The pair arrived at the robbery scene in a stolen vehicle they had obtained the day before, the indictment states.
Reese got out of the vehicle, pointed a gun at the mail carrier, and demanded the carrier’s USPS keys and mail bag, the indictment states.
The firearm was equipped with a “switch” device, making it capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Reese and Allen then fled in the stolen vehicle.
The indictment charges Reese, 21, and Allen, 22, both of Chicago, with conspiracy, robbery of a mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges are punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life.
Reese was arrested this week in Arizona. A detention hearing for Reese is set for April 7, 2025, in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Allen was arrested last month in Chicago and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju.
“U.S. Postal Service employees delivering mail to the American people must be allowed to do so safely and securely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public’s mail must be held accountable.”
“This indictment is another example of the roles Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
