St. Paul Man Charged for Armed Robbery of Postal Employees

MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint for armed robbery of postal employees on two separate occasions, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2023, Rubin David Adams, 26, approached a USPS letter carrier in Edina, pointed a handgun at them, and demanded the “mailbox key,” which the victim did not have. Instead, the victim handed over two sets of USPS vehicle keys. The following day, Adams approached another USPS letter carrier in Brooklyn Center. Adams pointed a handgun at the victim’s head, demanded and stole two USPS mailbox keys. Mailbox keys are valuable to criminals who use them to steal mail, cash, checks, and other financial instruments. Mailbox keys are the property of USPS, and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one.

“This is part of an alarming trend that law enforcement is seeing around country, including here in the Twin Cities,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “We take this issue very seriously and will continue to ensure postal employees are safe and free from violence as they serve their communities.”

The complaint charges Adams with two counts of assault and attempted robbery, while putting a person’s life in jeopardy with the use of a deadly weapon. The charge of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Adams made his initial appearance last week in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. A preliminary and detention hearing has been scheduled for January 9, 2024.

“The safety and security of Postal Service employees and customers is core to the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and this incident is a tremendous example of how local, state, and federal partners can join together to quickly and safely resolve situations like this,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove. “Mr. Adams’s alleged crimes showed blatant disregard for human decency and overall greed. I would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts.”

Law enforcement encourages anyone who may have mailed letters or checks from Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park that did not reach their destination to contact the USPIS Tip Line at 612-884-7962 or uspismntips@uspis.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, Hennepin County Violent Offenders Task Force, Edina Police Department, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, the St. Louis Park Police Department, and the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.