Minneapolis Man who Robbed Postal Carriers at Gunpoint and Carried out a Check Forgery Scheme Sentenced to 132 Months in Prison

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Rubin David Adams, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 132 months in prison for his involvement in a string of robberies of U.S. Postal Service letter carriers in the fall of 2023, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

According to court documents, over a two-day period, Rubin David Adams, 28, robbed two different letter carriers—one in Edina and the second in Brooklyn Center—at gunpoint.  Adams stole Postal Service keys from one of the victims, granting him access to secure mail collections boxes.  Adams then carried out a check fraud scheme, with others he recruited, stealing mail from dozens of Twin Cities-area collection boxes and using that stolen mail to pass forged checks. 

At the time of Adams’ robbery spree, he was on supervised release in Georgia.  The defendant was wearing an ankle monitor that corroborated his presence and involvement with each robbery. Adams was charged with numerous crimes, including two counts of armed robbery of a mail carrier, two counts of theft of Postal Service keys, and mail theft.

“Serious crimes demand serious federal time,” said 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.”

Adams was sentenced to 132 months of prison and 5 years of supervised release, with $77,998.33 in restitution in U.S District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud stated, “the United States Postal Service is a vital institution to our country. People will stop trusting the mail if they believe it will be stolen. And people will stop applying to be mail carriers if they believe they will be victims of violence.”

U.S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division Acting Inspector in Charge Steve Hodges added: “Our nation’s letter carriers deserve to go to work without fear of harm from a robbery or attack. Letter carriers are hardworking, federal civil servants who deliver an essential service to communities across America. An attack on a letter carrier, or any postal employee, is also an attack on the very community they serve. The prosecution and strong sentence in this case reflect the seriousness of the crimes. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Project Safe Delivery initiative and this criminal investigation show our commitment to protect the U.S. Postal Service and bring those who attack postal employees to justice.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Edina Police Department, Brooklyn Center Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hennepin County Violent Offenders Task Force, Saint Louis Park Police Department and the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.