Evanston Man Indicted By Feds Over Pair Of Postal Worker Robberies

EVANSTON, IL — An Evanston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he assaulted and robbed a pair of postal workers more than 16 months ago.

Everett Pullett, 33, was arrested the day after he robbed two U.S. Postal Service mail carriers on consecutive days in September 2022.

“This indictment is another example of the roles postal inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers,” Ruth Mendonça, inspector-in-charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Chicago Division, said in a statement announcing the indictment.

“As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants," Mendonça said.

In the first of the two robberies, Pullett allegedly demanded the postal worker's keys and directed a masked, armed accomplice to grab the worker's U.S.P.S. "arrow keys," which provide access to multiple mailboxes and mailrooms. Then, in the second gunpoint robbery Pullett is accused of carrying out, he allegedly struck the postal worker in the head after grabbing the arrow key.

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Surveillance footage helped lead investigators to Pullett, and a court-authorized search of his house turned up incriminating evidence, including stolen postal box keys, a gun he could not legally possess and clothing that matched a description provided by a victim.

Pullett's arrest was first reported by Patch following his initial court appearance in Skokie, where he was ordered to remain detained at Cook County Jail while awaiting trial in state court for two counts of armed robbery and one count of being an armed habitual criminal.

Records show Pullett was paroled from state prison for a gun- and shoplifting-related conviction about three months before the two robberies.

He also had an active arrest warrant issued by authorities in Northwest Indiana for allegedly failing to appear in court following a theft arrest.

Last week, federal prosecutors filed a three-count indictment against Pullett. The indictment was unsealed Monday, Pullett was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to assaulting and robbing the postal carriers and illegally possessing an arrow key.

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A conviction for the most serious assault and robbery, which injured and jeopardized the life of a postal carrier, carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison. The other assault and possession of the key can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.

The office of acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Morris Pasqual said Evanston police provided valuable assistance in the case.

“U.S. Postal Service employees delivering mail to the American people must be allowed to do so safely and securely,” Pasqual said in a statement. “Individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail must be held accountable.”

Earlier: Man Charged In 'Audacious' Armed Robberies Of USPS Workers In Evanston