Rubin David Adams, a Minneapolis resident, has been sentenced to 132 months in prison for robbing U.S. Postal Service letter carriers and executing a check forgery scheme. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Court documents reveal that Adams, aged 28, committed two armed robberies over two days in the fall of 2023. He targeted letter carriers in Edina and Brooklyn Center, stealing Postal Service keys from one victim to access secure mail collection boxes. This enabled him to orchestrate a check fraud operation involving stolen mail from numerous Twin Cities-area collection boxes.
At the time of these offenses, Adams was on supervised release in Georgia and wore an ankle monitor that confirmed his involvement in the robberies. He faced charges including armed robbery of a mail carrier, theft of Postal Service keys, and mail theft.
“Serious crimes demand serious federal time,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Adams went on a two-day crime spree and, for that, will spend a decade in federal prison.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Adams received five years of supervised release and must pay $77,998.33 in restitution as ordered by Judge Eric C. Tostrud at the U.S District Court. Judge Tostrud emphasized the importance of trust in the United States Postal Service: “The United States Postal Service is a vital institution to our country... People will stop applying to be mail carriers if they believe they will be victims of violence.”
Steve Hodges, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division, commented: “Our nation’s letter carriers deserve to go to work without fear... An attack on a letter carrier... is also an attack on the very community they serve.” He highlighted that this case reflects their commitment through initiatives like Project Safe Delivery.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the United States Postal Inspection Service, Edina Police Department, Brooklyn Center Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Hennepin County Violent Offenders Task Force, Saint Louis Park Police Department and Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead led the prosecution.
