Federal Jury Convicts Opelousas Man For Robbing and Assaulting Postal Employee

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Brandon Handy, 33, of Opelousas, La., was found guilty by a federal jury on Tuesday of assaulting and robbing a postal employee.  United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial.

Handy’s trial started Monday and ended Tuesday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for one hour and 30 minutes.  Witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence at trial established that Handy and another individual wearing masks and armed with a pistol robbed a U.S. Postal Service contract driver on August 13, 2011, at the Lawtell Post Office.  Handy grabbed the driver from behind by the neck and wrestled him to his knees while the other individual took a bag of mail from the employee’s truck.  After Handy and the other individual fled the scene, the driver was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries.

Handy faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release for aggravated robbery of mail matter.  A sentencing date has been set for April 11, 2014.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson is prosecuting the case.