LOS ANGELES – A Gardena man was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for assaulting a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee last year.
John Leomen Ross, 40, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. Ross pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of assault on a federal employee resulting in bodily injury.
“The defendant here violently attacked a postal employee who was hard at work doing his job,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work helping obtain a prison sentence for this defendant.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s top priority is the safety of our postal employees,” said Matt Shields, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division. “These dedicated letter carriers serve our communities daily, ensuring reliable mail delivery while facing various challenges on their routes. We remain committed to protecting the well-being of these carriers and holding accountable anyone who threatens their livelihood. No one should have to fear for their safety while performing their job.”
On February 21, 2024, the victim was delivering mail in Gardena when Ross approached and stopped the USPS employee. According to the victim, Ross yelled at him and was upset he didn’t get a package he felt he was supposed to have already received.
Ross asked the employee to deliver his mail to a particular Gardena residence where he was allegedly squatting.
Surveillance video from a home security system show the USPS employee turning away from Ross and attempting to walk away to continue his postal route. Without warning, Ross then hit the USPS employee on the back of the head, hit him in the eye, and then body slammed the USPS employee to the ground.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Lee of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.