Jody Harris, a 33-year-old resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on March 10 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to 144 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to assaulting a postal employee and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to an April 7 announcement from U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The case is significant because it involves violence against a federal employee and the illegal possession of firearms by someone with a felony conviction.
According to court documents, Harris assaulted a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier on December 16, 2024 while the victim was delivering mail on Forshey Street. Harris approached the victim with a Beretta Model APX handgun taken from his bag, threatened him at gunpoint, and demanded his belongings. The victim handed over USPS vehicle keys, mail scanner, and satchel containing mail out of fear for his life. Harris then entered the USPS vehicle and stole an Arrow key used for accessing blue collection boxes.
Authorities tracked the stolen USPS mail scanner with GPS capability to another address on Forshey Street where police recovered postal keys, an Arrow Key, debit card bearing Harris's name, the Beretta handgun with loaded magazine, and stolen mail after executing a search warrant. Further investigation led police to Baccich Street where they seized additional items including another USPS satchel with carrier's initials as well as drugs such as marijuana, Xanax tablets and crack cocaine along with drug paraphernalia before arresting Harris.
Harris had previously been convicted of felony offenses in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court which prohibited him from possessing firearms under federal law.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle said he praised "the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter." Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Katherine Kaufman (General Crimes Unit), Alexandra Giavotella (Public Corruption Unit), and Gregory M. Kennedy (Violent Crimes Unit) prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative that combines resources from Department of Justice programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)—which aims to combat violent crime by targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
