Twenty-One-Year-Old Memphis Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for String of Robberies Against Postal Employees

Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Jonathan D. Holmes, 21, of Memphis, to 11 years in federal prison for a string of assaults and robberies of United States postal employees. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. also ordered Holmes to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, on October 4, 2021, a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service was delivering mail near Kings Grant Cove in South Memphis when Jonathan Holmes parked his car in front of the postal vehicle and pointed a gun at the postal worker. The mail carrier fled in his postal vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, Holmes approached a second letter carrier near Silver Chalice Drive and again pointed a handgun at the worker. Holmes demanded packages off the truck and fled the scene after stealing multiple packages.  About 15 minutes after that robbery, Holmes robbed a third letter carrier near Hallshire Cove and again fled the scene with several packages.

On April 6, 2023, Holmes pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault of a federal employee, two counts of robbery of a postal employee, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. On August 8, 2023, U.S. District Judge Fowlkes sentenced Holmes to 132 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

"This office takes very seriously its duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the security of the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “This sentence should stand as a message to anyone who would threaten or attempt to threaten government institutions, innocent citizens, and community safety. We will do all we can to see that acts of violence and greed are met with the full measure of consequences."

“The sentence imposed today exemplifies the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect the employees of the United States Postal Service.  When our employees are victims of robberies and assaults, we do not stop until we identify those responsible,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service.  “We are proud of the work done by the Postal Inspectors, and we are very pleased with the sentence, which we feel speaks to the gravity of the offense.  We appreciate the work of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Holmes to justice.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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