Armed Robbers Sentenced for Targeting USPS Mail Carriers

Two ruthless criminals have been locked up for good after their sinister plot to prey on U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers in Metro Detroit. Michael Lamar Smith-Ellis, 31, from Detroit and Terrance Tucker, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, were each sentenced to a staggering seven years behind bars by United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmund.

The duo’s modus operandi was simple yet chilling: armed robbery. They targeted mail carriers in Taylor and Northville, Michigan, in September and October 2023, holding them at gunpoint and demanding their access keys to steal postal mail for personal gain. Smith-Ellis and Tucker were caught red-handed within minutes after the assault on a Northville mail carrier. Law enforcement officers discovered firearms, stolen credit cards, and USPS master keys in their possession.

“We all know the commitment of postal carriers to deliver the mail no matter the conditions,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. stated. “And we are committed to protecting them as they do their job. These violent criminals deserve a serious sentence.”

The Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division, led by Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector in Charge, emphasized the importance of postal employee safety. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt or conspire to harm postal employees for personal gain,” McStravick said. “We will find you and we will ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort, with assistance from Taylor, Northville, and Livonia police departments, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan Ho leading the prosecution on behalf of the United States.

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