Three Area Men Arrested in Postal Robbery Case

CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a five count indictment charging Devin Sims, Michael Williams, and Teontaey Thomas with aiding and abetting each other in Robbery of Mail or Property of the United States and Stealing Keys Adopted by the Post Office. Two of the men, Sims and Williams, are also charged with Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence and Theft of Mail. Sims alone is charged with Possession of Stolen Mail.

A joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and South Euclid Police Department led to the arrest of Devin Sims, 19, of Cleveland Heights, on December 8, 2023, Michael Williams, 19, of University Heights, and Teontaey Thomas, 20, of Cleveland, on March 20, 2023.

The three individuals were charged for their roles in a robbery that involved the use of a firearm of a postal carrier on November 7, 2023. It is alleged that during the robbery the carrier’s key, which opens blue mailboxes belonging to the United States Postal Service, was stolen. On or about November 11, 2023, Sims and Williams accessed a blue mailbox in South Euclid, Ohio using the key and stole checks that were previously deposited in the mail.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating cases involving theft from postal carriers and the U.S. Mails.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and the South Euclid Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.

The Postal Inspection Service is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts or thefts or attempted thefts of mail carriers or mail should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.