PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marquan Deon Johnson, 25, and Keondre Dashown Daniels, 26, both of Montgomery, Alabama, were sentenced to 60 months’ and 117 months in federal prison, respectively, after previously pleading guilty to using a firearm to rob a United States Postal Service mail carrier and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The United States mail must be secure and the dedicated employees who deliver it must be safe from violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “These sentences illustrate our resolve to protect the public servants working on behalf of their fellow citizens and should serve as examples of the significant federal penalties associated with acts of armed violence.”
On July 21, 2023, a United States Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail in a residential neighborhood Fort Walton Beach, Florida. As she attempted to deliver mail, a vehicle driven by Johnson, pulled up next to the mail carrier’s vehicle and Daniels exited the vehicle. Daniel’s approached the mail carrier and pointed a handgun at the mail carrier. Daniels grabbed the mail carrier’s wrist and stole her mail key. Johnson and Daniels then fled the scene. Officers from the Fort Walton Beach Police Department identified the vehicle driven by Johnson from a nearby traffic camera and issued a Be on the Lookout (“BOLO”) alert. A few hours after the robbery, the vehicle was located in Montgomery, Alabama, by the Montgomery Police Department and Johnson and Daniels were arrested.
“This case is a testament to the swift and coordinated efforts of law enforcement across state lines and the strong partnerships between federal and local agencies,” said Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Robert Bage. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of our community. Let this be a clear message: violence in our community will not be tolerated, and we will make every effort to bring those who commit violent acts to justice.”
“U.S. Postal Service employees should be free to service our communities without being subjected to acts of violence, especially armed robberies,” said Juan Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud of its work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local law enforcement partners on this case. The sentencing of Marquan Johnson and Keondre Daniels upholds the fundamental right of a safe work environment for our nation’s postal employees.”
Johnson’s prison sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release and Daniel’s prison sentence will be followed by 2 years of supervised release.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, and the Montgomery Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
