Indictment Charges San Jose Man With Robbing U.S. Mail Carrier

SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury has indicted James Luna, charging him with the robbery of a mail carrier in the Sunnyvale, Calif., area, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez. The indictment follows the announcement by U.S. Attorney Ramsey and Postal Inspector in Charge Nuñez regarding multiple arrests made throughout the Bay Area in cases involving the interference with delivery of the U.S. mail.

According to papers filed in connection with the Luna case, on December 30, 2022, a person fitting Luna’s description approached a United States Postal Service mail carrier just before 4:00 p.m. and demanded that the mail carrier hand over her postal keys. The mail carrier reported that she could see the handle of a firearm sticking out of the robber’s pocket. The mail carrier handed over the keys and the robber absconded with them. The robber was later identified as James Luna, 32, of San Jose. The keys are used to open United States Postal Service mailboxes in a designated area.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Luna is charged with robbery of a mail carrier, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2114. The maximum statutory penalty for robbery of a mail carrier is 10 years in prison. Further, in addition to the prison term, the court may order defendant to serve an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term, additional fines, and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

On October 10, 2023, U.S. Attorney Ramsey and Postal Inspector in Charge Nuñez held a press conference at which they discussed a recent increase in the theft of postal keys, break-ins of postal vehicles, assaults on letter carriers, and various other criminal acts involving interference with delivery of the mail. According to U.S. Attorney Ramsey, a surge in arrests throughout the Bay Area has resulted in several defendants now facing severe federal penalties. A press release discussing the press conference can be found here.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Hong is prosecuting the Luna case. The prosecution of this case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Sunnyvale Police Department.