Two Men Charged with the Murder of a USPS Mail Carrier

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An indictment was unsealed charging two Ohio men with the murder of an on-duty United States Postal Service (USPS) Letter Carrier in March of 2024.

According to the indictment, on March 2, 2024, Kaprise Sledge, 24, of Warren, Ohio, and Thomas Sledge, 44 of Youngstown, Ohio, used a firearm to kill the mail carrier during the course of his official employment with the USPS.

Kaprise Sledge and Thomas Sledge are each charged with one count of murder of an officer and employee of the United States and one count of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case. The Warren Police Department, Trumbull County Action Group Drug Task Force, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, and Trumbull County Emergency Management also assisted in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Toepfer, Michelle Baeppler, and Brett Hammond, for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit https://www.uspis.gov/report.