Man Charged in Armed Robbery of Mail Carrier in Brooklyn Center

A St. Paul man is accused of threatening mail carriers with a gun, including a United States Postal Service employee in Brooklyn Center, in an attempt to rob them.

Rubin Adams, 26, is charged with two counts of assault and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon.

According to the Minneapolis office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Adams pointed a gun at a letter carrier in Brooklyn Center, as well as at another carrier in Edina and demanded mailbox keys in both cases.

Federal prosecutors say mailbox keys are valuable to criminals, who use them to steal mail, cash, checks and other financial instruments. 

“This is part of an alarming trend that law enforcement is seeing around country, including here in the Twin Cities,” said Luger in a statement released to the media. “We take this issue very seriously and will continue to ensure postal employees are safe and free from violence as they serve their communities.”

According to the the charges:

The Edina case occurred Nov. 18. In that incident, Adams allegedly pointed a handgun at the letter carrier and demanded the “mailbox key,” which the victim did not have. Instead, the victim handed over two sets of USPS vehicle keys.

The following day, Adams approached another USPS letter carrier in Brooklyn Center. Adams allegedly pointed a handgun at the victim’s head, then demanded and stole two USPS mailbox keys. 

Law enforcement encourages anyone who may have mailed letters or checks from Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park that did not reach their destination to contact the USPIS Tip Line at 612-884-7962 or uspismntips@uspis.gov.

The charge of robbery of a postal carrier to steal mail provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Brooklyn Center | Twin Cities