Georgia man convicted of armed assault of federal mail carrier

Michael Terrell has pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting a federal mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime of violence.

“Terrell’s conduct is especially egregious as he showed no regard for the life of the mail carrier who was simply doing his job,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “This kind of senseless attack jeopardizes the safety of both postal employees and the general public.”

“The safety and security of Postal Service employees is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to help protect our communities from the significant threats posed by criminals.”

“Crime, and the people who commit them, are destroying our communities,” said Arthur Peralta, ATF Special Agent in Charge.  “Mr. Terrell’s actions show his complete disregard for his community and the safety of those who live there.”

“This assault on a representative the United States Postal Service (USPS) is disturbing and unacceptable. Criminals who would seek to harm public servants and people who seek to use the USPS as a means to traffic drugs must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Atlanta Interim Police Chief Rodney Bryant.

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 2, 2019, the DeKalb County Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspectors investigated the armed assault of a mail carrier at a restaurant in Tucker, Georgia. The mail carrier had just delivered a parcel to the cashier at the restaurant when Terrell grabbed the parcel and followed the mail carrier to his postal vehicle.

Terrell then attempted to block the mail carrier’s access to the vehicle, and forced his way inside the vehicle, and took the keys. Terrell began rummaging through the vehicle looking for the missing contents of the parcel, later determined to have been a large quantity of marijuana. Terrell then pulled a firearm on the mail carrier before fleeing the scene.

At the time of the assault, Michael Terrell, 25, of Decatur, Georgia, was under indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a felony on December 7, 2018.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel R. Boatright prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the DeKalb County Police Department, the City of Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol are investigating this case.

This case is bought as a part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.  In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.