A St. Paul man has been charged in federal court in connection with the armed robbery of postal employees in Edina and Brooklyn Center this fall, according to a press release by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger’s office Monday.

Luger’s office gave the following details:

On Nov. 18, 2023, Rubin David Adams, 26, of St. Paul allegedly pointed a handgun at a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in Edina and demanded a mailbox key, which the carrier did not have. The carrier did, however, turn over two sets of USPS vehicle keys. Prosecutors say the next day, on Nov. 19, Adams pointed a gun at a letter carrier’s head in Brooklyn Center and demanded two mailbox keys.

“Mailbox keys are valuable to criminals who use them to steal mail, cash, checks, and other financial instruments. Mailbox keys are the property of USPS, and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release.

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

To bring attention to this trend, a rally was held on Sunday at the Main Post Office in downtown Minneapolis. It was organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

The complaint charges Adams with two counts of assault and attempted robbery while putting a person’s life in jeopardy with the use of a deadly weapon. Adams made his initial appearance last week in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. A preliminary and detention hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Anyone who has mailed letters or checks from Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park that did not reach their destination is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Tip Line at 612-884-7962 or uspismntips@uspis.gov.

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