A man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for assaulting and robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Malik Washington committed the robbery on October 23, 2023, while the mail carrier was delivering mail.
Washington approached the mail carrier under the pretense of asking for rubber bands before attempting to grab a box from the carrier’s bag. When the mail carrier resisted, Washington brandished a semiautomatic handgun and demanded the USPS-issued Arrow Key, which opens postal collection boxes. The mail carrier complied, and Washington fled with the key. He was arrested four days later, and authorities recovered the stolen key.
The 26-year-old from Calumet City pleaded guilty to a federal robbery charge earlier this year. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced him to five years and ten months in prison.
The sentencing was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Harvey Police Department also assisted in the case.
U.S. Attorney Boutros emphasized that “the U.S. Postal Service is a critical government function,” adding that his office will continue working with law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use violence against postal carriers.
Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça highlighted that “the recent conviction and sentencing of Malik Washington demonstrate” their agency’s commitment to justice and protecting postal employees and systems.
