Memphis, TN - After a federal jury trial, Wendy Thomas, 39, has been convicted for robbery of mail, money or other property of the United States and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 21, 2016, at approximately 12:50 p.m., U.S. Postal Inspectors responded to the robbery of a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier in the area of 890 Baltic Street. The gunman approached the letter carrier and pointed a semi-automatic handgun as she was placing her mail satchel in her postal truck.
The suspect asked for cash or checks that were in the vehicle. He then went through the mail and took several envelopes and packages. As the suspect was leaving, he threatened the letter carrier and told her "to stay back, don’t move until I leave or I am going to blow your damn head off." The gunman fled in a blue 2005 Toyota Matrix. Investigators later determined that Wendy Thomas was the getaway driver and that Jamal Cherry was the gunman.
The robbery was captured by a nearby home surveillance video camera. Surveillance video footage depicts Cherry exiting the Toyota Matrix to rob the letter carrier. The video then showed Thomas slide from the passenger side of the vehicle to the driver's side to ready herself for Cherry's return. When Cherry completed the robbery, Thomas sped off from the scene in the Toyota Matrix. During an interview with U.S. Postal Inspectors, Thomas admitted to being on the scene and driving Cherry away from robbery.
On Sept. 15, 2017, Cherry pled guilty to the armed robberies of two U.S. Postal Service letter carriers and received a sentence of 13 years in federal prison.
Sentencing for Thomas is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. On count one, Thomas faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. On count two, Thomas faces a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, which must be consecutive to count one, followed by 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This office takes very seriously our duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the sanctity and security of the U.S.Mail. Armed robberies are brazen and disturbing acts of violence that terrorize our community, and must be met with significant consequences. These dangerous offenders have sown violence and greed, and as a result of this guilty verdict, they will now reap the full measure of consequences for their criminal conduct."
"One of the core tasks of the Postal Inspection Service is the safety and well-being of United States Postal Service employees. We are very pleased with the jury's verdict and hope this result deters others from similar types of crime," said David McGinnis, Inspector-In-Charge of the Charlotte Division.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
