Three Men Plead Guilty to Armed Robbery of a Columbia Postal Carrier

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Don Everett Peters, III, a/k/a “Pop,” 20, and Shylik Lamont Smalls, a/k/a “Mitch,” 21, both of Columbia, South Carolina, along with Elijah Rasue Dewayne Ellis, a/k/a “Smoke,” a/k/a “Black,” 20, of Valdosta, Georgia, have each pleaded guilty to their roles in the March 17, 2022, armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier in Columbia.

Peters, Smalls, and Ellis each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier, assault/armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier, and theft/possession of a United States Postal arrow key. Peters and Smalls also each pleaded guilty to theft/possession of United States mail.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Peters, Smalls, and Ellis conspired to rob a postal carrier of his arrow key, which would give them access to locked mail collection boxes. On the afternoon of March 17, 2022, after surveilling another postal carrier in the Hollywood-Rose Hill/Rosewood area of Columbia, the trio decided to rob a letter carrier making his rounds on Hollywood Drive. While Peters waited in the getaway car, Smalls and Ellis—while wearing masks—approached the carrier. Ellis pointed a gun at the carrier and demanded his keys.  Peters then picked up the two co-conspirators and they fled the area.

After an extensive investigation, including review of numerous surveillance cameras and interviewing witnesses, law enforcement authorities linked the getaway vehicle to Peters. After a review of Peters’ prior encounters with law enforcement and cell phone records, postal inspectors were able to link Smalls to Peters. They determined that Smalls matched the description of one of the robbers, that both Smalls and Peters had access to firearms, and that Smalls was in possession of clothing matching the description of the clothing worn by one of the robbers.

Search warrants were obtained for Peters’ and Smalls’ apartments and vehicles and executed on May 4, 2022. Smalls was found with the stolen arrow key in his pants pocket. Investigators also recovered stolen mail, check making materials, several electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops, and two privately made firearms, which are commonly known as “ghost guns.” One ghost gun was found in Peters’ bedroom and the other in Smalls’ bedroom. Inside Peters’ car, Inspectors found documentation belonging to Ellis.

After waiving their rights, both Peters and Smalls admitted to being involved in the robbery, along with Ellis. Peters and Smalls were placed under arrest and a warrant was issued for Ellis. On May 31, 2022, Ellis was arrested in Valdosta, Georgia, where he was found in possession of a “ghost gun” and a quantity of marijuana. After advice of rights, Ellis admitted to being involved in the robbery with Peters and Smalls. Peters, Smalls, and Ellis remain in custody as they were federally detained following their 2022 arrests.

“Robbing postal carriers for their keys is becoming a national trend, and it will not be tolerated in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We are committed to using federal investigative and prosecutorial resources to swiftly bringing to justice those who harm Postal Service employees.”

“Protecting the employees of the United States Postal Service is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We want to thank our law enforcement partners that worked tirelessly to apprehend these dangerous individuals.”

The three men face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the assault/armed robbery of the postal carrier charge, a maximum of 10 years in prison on the theft/possession of an arrow key charge, and a maximum of 5 years in prison on both the conspiracy and the theft/possession of mail charges. They each also face a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge, restitution, and up to 5 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the trio after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Columbia Police Department. Additionally, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Lowndes County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest of Ellis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey D. Haynes and Lamar Fyall are prosecuting the case.

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