A convicted felon who threatened a United States Postal Service mail carrier in St. Louis, Missouri, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a gun charge.
Marquis Melton, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday in connection with a February 2023 incident in which he confronted a mail carrier in the 4700 block of Farlin Avenue, demanding a package that he expected. Melton admitted that he had not received a package containing marijuana that he was expecting, and he became agitated when the carrier told him he did not have the package.
Melton followed the carrier back to the Post Office and attempted to locate the package, and the next day, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the vehicle Melton was riding in and found a .40-caliber pistol. Melton is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a firearm.
Melton denied threatening the carrier with a firearm and claimed that there was no evidence that the gun he purportedly had while interacting with the carrier was the same one police found a day later. However, based on testimony and evidence presented during a sentencing hearing, Judge Ross found that Melton did have the gun and did threaten the mail carrier.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across the country. The program brings together law enforcement and community organizations to support community-based initiatives that prevent violence and promote public safety.
Melton’s sentence is a significant blow to those who would use violence and intimidation to get what they want. It shows that the Department of Justice will not tolerate this type of behavior and will hold accountable those who commit it.
The case is a reminder that the consequences of committing a crime can be severe and long-lasting. Melton will spend the next 10 years in prison, a fate that could have been avoided if he had simply waited for his package to arrive.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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