Former East Hartford Resident Charged with Robbing More Than $20K from USPS Employee in Hartford

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge for the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging DION EDWARD THOMPSON, 37, formerly of East Hartford, with committing an assault and robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee in Hartford in September 2014.

On September 9, 2014, two masked men, one of whom brandished what appeared to be a firearm, robbed a U.S. Postal Service employee of U.S. Postal Service funds at the Barry Square Post Office, located at 645 Maple Avenue in Hartford.  The robbery occurred as the employee was loading the Post Office’s daily proceeds into a postal vehicle, which was parked at the loading dock.  Approximately $21,817 in cash, checks and money orders was stolen during the robbery.

The indictment charges THOMPSON with one count of robbery of a postal employee and one count of theft of government property.  Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford.

THOMPSON is incarcerated in Colorado on unrelated charges.  His arraignment in the District of Connecticut is not yet scheduled.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Hartford Police Department and the Colorado Springs Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah R. Slater and Douglas P. Morabito.