Baltimore Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Forcible Assault On Federal Employee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md                                         at (410) 209-4885

Baltimore, Maryland –United States District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Idialyon Helm, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for forcible assault on a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier, and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.  Helm also admitted to one additional armed robbery, as well as an attempted armed robbery.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Commissioner Darryl De Sousa of the Baltimore Police Department.

“While protecting postal employees is of paramount importance to Postal Inspectors, we are pleased that the results of this investigation have improved the safety of the entire community,” stated Inspector in Charge Wemyss.

According to his plea agreement, on December 29, 2016, at between 10:00 and 10:15 AM, Helm robbed a USPS letter carrier at gunpoint while the letter carrier was on his route in the 3100 block of Chesterfield Avenue in Baltimore City, taking the victim’s wallet and smart watch, among other things. 

Helm was indicted for forcible assault on a federal employee and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.  In pleading guilty to those charges, Helm also acknowledged that he committed two other robberies/attempted robberies just days before the robbery of the letter carrier.  According to his plea agreement, on December 25, 2016, at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, Helm approached a male victim outside of a convenience store on Caton Avenue in Baltimore, pointed a silver handgun at him, and stole his shoes—a pair of Ugg Boots. Later that afternoon, Helm also attempted to rob a female victim at an M&T Bank ATM on Belair Road in Baltimore.  He approached her, pointed a silver handgun at her, and said “Give me what you got.”  In response, she fled and observed Helm get into a silver Infiniti SUV and drive away. 

Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Judson Mihok who prosecuted the case.