5 Face Charges After Milwaukee Postal Workers Robbed Of Master Keys

MILWAUKEE, WI — Five men from Milwaukee are now facing federal charges after prosecutors said they robbed several U.S. Postal Service workers of their universal keys to open and steal mail from drop boxes.

The robberies happened between October 2022 and March 2023, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Gregory J. Haanstad. The defendants would take "arrow keys" from the postal carriers they robbed, which were then used to steal U.S. mail, according to Haanstadt's release.

A federal complaint detailed four armed robberies with four separate mail carriers leading up to the theft of mail in April. The robberies happened in the 2500 block of Richards Avenue, the 3200 block of Bremen Avenue, the 5200 block of North 27th Street and the 4500 block of North 38th Street between October 2022 and March 2023, according to the complaint. The theft of mail happened in the 5900 block of North Teutonia Avenue, prosecutors said.

According to Haanstadt, those charged include 20-year-old Huria H. Abu, facing four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence and one conspiracy charge; 19-year-old Jessie L. Cook facing two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence and one conspiracy charge; 21-year-old Hussein A Haji charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in a violent crime; 22-year-old Darrion M Allison charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a firearm in a violent crime, plus theft of mail; And 22-year-old Abdi A. Abdi facing two counts of Hobbs Act robbery plus mail theft and conspiracy and two counts of brandishing a firearm in a violent crime.

If convicted, all five who were charged could face up to 20 years in prison on each robbery count plus a minimum of seven years for brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence, according to the news release.