Providence Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Postal Service Carrier

PROVIDENCE, RI –  A federal judge on Wednesday imposed a nearly two-year term of incarceration on a Providence man who admitted to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service employee in November 2021, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Branley Ferreras-Severino, 23, who has been detained in state custody since his arrest on unrelated state drug trafficking charges on January 6, 2022, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023, to a charge of assault of a U.S. Postal Service carrier. He was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 months of incarceration, and three years of federal supervised release.

Ferreras-Severino previously admitted to the court that he was the driver of a vehicle that had stopped on a narrow South Providence street that was only wide enough to allow one vehicle to pass at a time.  As a postal driver maneuvered a mail delivery truck past Ferreras-Severino’s BMW, the postman smiled at the car’s driver in acknowledgement of the brief awkwardness. A short time later, when the letter carrier returned to his truck after delivering a package, he was met by Ferreras-Severino who uttered, “You think it’s funny? You almost hit me. You wanna get popped?” He then struck the letter carrier with his fists.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.

The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

United States Attorney Cunha acknowledges the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

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