Treasure Coast Men Sentenced to Prison for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Letter Carriers

MIAMI - Two of three St. Lucie County men, responsible for a string of robberies of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers for their Postal keys, were sentenced to federal prison yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore sitting in Ft. Pierce, Fla.

"The defendants brazenly terrorized loyal public servants, U.S. Postal Service letter carriers working in Florida, at gunpoint for their postal keys with the intent to steal mail from collection boxes. Their sentencing shows that the safety of U.S. Postal Service employees is of the utmost importance," said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. "Armed assaults on letter carriers negatively impact our entire community, which relies on the U.S. Postal Service for the safe delivery of the mail."

"The prison sentences handed down to these defendants should serve as a reminder that violent acts committed against U.S. Postal Service employees providing service to the community will not be tolerated and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, will ensure that those committing these acts will be pursued and justly punished for their crimes," said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division.

Bernard Jerome Davis III, 20, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was sentenced to 192 months' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years' supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of armed Postal/U.S. property robbery, a single count of brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and Hobbs Act robbery.

Jalen Dennis Elliott, 19, of Port St. Lucie, was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment, to be followed by 2 years' supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery.

Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23, of Fort Pierce, pleaded guilty on June 12, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 24, in Ft. Pierce.

According to the court record, to include factual proffers in support of the defendants' guilty pleas, between Nov. 19, 2022, and Oct. 21, 2023, Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott robbed at least six USPS letter carriers in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange and Miami-Dade counties in Florida.

On Nov. 19, 2022, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail inside an apartment complex in Port St. Lucie. While the carrier was at the mailboxes, Brown Weathers demanded "Give me the key." Brown Weathers then grabbed and started yanking the letter carrier's keys, which were attached to her uniform pants. Brown Weathers then brandished a semi-automatic handgun and demanded "Give me the f------ key. You got five seconds to give up the key." At that point the letter carrier unhooked her arrow key and handed it over to Brown Weathers, who fled in a vehicle driven by Davis. The vehicle, belonging to Brown Weathers' mother, was later chased by a St. Lucie County Sheriff's deputy in Fort Pierce. The occupants fled and a K-9 deputy recovered the firearm used in the robbery along the path of flight.

A Postal arrow key is an accountable property assigned to U.S. Post Office(s) that is only authorized to be used by USPS employees in an official capacity. A Postal arrow key is used by USPS employees to open mail receptacles within a geographic area to collect and deliver mail.

On May 12, 2023, Brown Weathers and Davis robbed two USPS letter carriers at gunpoint in the Middle District of Florida. At approximately 12:13 p.m., a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Melbourne, Fla., when Davis approached the letter carrier with a black firearm and demanded the letter carrier's Postal arrow key. Once the letter carrier handed over the key, Davis fled the scene in a Nissan Altima that he rented. At approximately 1:20 p.m., another USPS letter carrier was on his mail delivery route in Orlando, Fla., when a Nissan Altima stopped behind his Postal vehicle. Brown Weathers exited the Nissan Altima, ran towards the letter carrier while holding a black firearm, grabbed the letter carrier by the shirt, and demanded the letter carrier give him the arrow key. The letter carrier removed the arrow key from his belt loop and gave it Brown Weathers, who fled in the vehicle rented and driven by Davis.

On Aug. 1, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Fort Pierce when a white Pontiac Grand Prix began to follow her and pulled up behind her USPS vehicle. The letter carrier observed Davis carrying a black semi-automatic firearm and walking toward the Postal vehicle. Fearing a robbery, the letter carrier quickly drove away and called 911. The same white vehicle followed another letter carrier, who also called 911.

On Oct. 11, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in Fort Pierce when Davis approached the driver's side of the Postal vehicle brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded that the letter carrier give him the key. Once the letter carrier handed the Postal arrow key to Davis, he entered a white vehicle and drove away.

On Oct. 21, 2023, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail in an apartment community in Miami Beach, Fla. when she was confronted by Davis who shouted, "give me the keys." Davis ripped the keys, including a Postal arrow key, from the letter carrier's hand, causing an injury. Davis then fled to a waiting black BMW SUV, driven by Elliott.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Chief Wayne A. Jones of the City of Miami Beach Police Department, Sheriff Keith Pearson of the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, Chief Diane Hobley-Burney of the Fort Pierce Police Department, Sheriff John W. Mina of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Sheriff Wayne Ivey of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office made the announcement.

The USPIS, Miami Beach Police Department, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, Fort Pierce Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Brevard County Sheriff's Office, investigated the case. The Port St. Lucie Police Department provided assistance. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting the case.

This case is the result of Project Safe Delivery (PSD), a joint U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service initiative aimed at countering postal crime and safeguarding postal employees. Announced in May 2023, in direct response to a rise in threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail theft incidents, PSD seeks to protect Postal employees and the mail stream, prevent incidents through education and awareness, and enforce the laws that protect our nation's mail stream. Since the launch of PSD, postal inspectors, working with law enforcement partners, have arrested more than 287 individuals for postal-related robberies through June 30, 2024. In the first six months of the fiscal year, the number of arrests for postal-related robberies rose 72% versus the same period the previous year, while the number of postal-related robberies dropped 21%. Meanwhile, the number of mail theft complaints received during that period decreased 35%, suggesting the PSD approach is achieving the intended result.

Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. The Postal Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for the forcible assault, robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14053.

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