Two Men Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Michigan Postal Carriers

Two men have been sentenced in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting U.S. Postal Service mail carriers, federal prosecutors announced.

Michael Lamar Smith-Ellis, 31, of Detroit, and Terrance Tucker, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, were each sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Court documents state that Tucker and Smith-Ellis allegedly robbed postal carriers at gunpoint in Northville Township and Taylor during September and October 2023, demanding the carriers surrender their USPS master keys, known as “arrow keys.”

Smith-Ellis and Tucker were arrested shortly after allegedly robbing a carrier in Northville. A search of the vehicle used by the two revealed firearms, equipment, several credit cards belonging to others, a USPS key ring, and an “arrow key.”

“The safety of postal employees is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the federal law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service,” said Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service's Detroit Division. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt or conspire to harm postal employees for personal gain: we will find you and we will ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We would also like to thank our local law enforcement partners for their invaluable assistance in this investigation.”

The Livonia, Northville, and Taylor police departments assisted the United States Postal Inspection Service in the investigation.