Memphis Man Receives Eleven Years for Robberies and Assaults of USPS Mail Carriers

Washington, D.C. – A Memphis, TN, man was sentenced for the armed robberies and assaults of multiple U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.

Jonathan D. Holmes, 21, will serve 11 years in federal prison for a string of assaults and robberies of United States postal employees. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes handed down the sentence on August 8, 2023. Previously, on April 6, 2023, Holmes pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault of a federal employee, two counts of robbery of a postal employee, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

On October 4, 2021, a USPS letter carrier was delivering mail near Kings Grant Cove in South Memphis when Jonathan Holmes parked his car in front of the postal vehicle and pointed a gun at the postal worker. The letter carrier fled in his postal vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, Holmes approached a second letter carrier near Silver Chalice Drive and again pointed a handgun at the carrier. Holmes demanded packages from the truck and fled the scene after taking multiple packages. About 15 minutes after that robbery, Holmes robbed a third letter carrier near Hallshire Cove and again fled the scene with several packages.

“The sentence imposed in this case exemplifies the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect the employees of the United States Postal Service. When our employees are victims of robberies and assaults, we do not stop until we identify those responsible,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “We are proud of the work done by the postal inspectors, and we are very pleased with the sentence, which we feel speaks to the gravity of the offense. We appreciate the work of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Holmes to justice.”

“This office takes very seriously its duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the security of the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “This sentence should stand as a message to anyone who would threaten or attempt to threaten government institutions, innocent citizens, and community safety. We will do all we can to see that acts of violence and greed are met with the full measure of consequences.”

The Postal Inspection Service thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Wagner for prosecuting the case.