A federal grand jury has indicted two men for allegedly assaulting and robbing a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Chicago. The indictment, unsealed today in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, accuses Kyler Reese and Chaun Allen of committing the crime on November 16, 2022.
The indictment details that Reese and Allen arrived at the scene in a stolen vehicle acquired a day earlier. Reese approached the mail carrier, brandished a firearm, and demanded the USPS keys and mail bag. The firearm was modified with a "switch" to allow multiple rounds to be fired with a single trigger pull. They then fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
Both men, residents of Chicago, face charges of conspiracy, robbery of a mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. These charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life imprisonment if convicted.
Reese was arrested earlier this week in Arizona and is scheduled for a detention hearing on April 7, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Allen was arrested last month in Chicago and has been ordered to remain in federal custody as he awaits trial.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The investigation received support from the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju is representing the government.
"U.S. Postal Service employees delivering mail to the American people must be allowed to do so safely and securely," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. "Individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail must be held accountable."
Mendonça emphasized the role of law enforcement in protecting postal employees, stating, "This indictment is another example of the roles Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers. As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants."
The public is reminded that an indictment is not proof of guilt, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
