Rochester man charged with robbing mail carrier

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A Rochester man is accused of stealing mailbox keys from a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. The charges against Tenaj Quamell Carr, 37, carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors say a postal carrier was robbed the morning of May 13, 2023, and the suspect rode away on a 10-speed bike. The postal carrier told a postal inspector that the robber may have had a weapon and, feeling threatened, he turned over the keys. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that since January 2023, there have been multiple reported incidents of postal carriers being robbed for their keys, sometimes at gunpoint.

An investigation determined that the suspect, identified as Carr, lived just a block away from where the keys were stolen. A Rochester police officer visited his residence and spoke with his father, who said his son was not home but that he would call police and return the keys, which he did around 30 minutes later. A warrant was issued for Carr’s arrest, and he was taken into custody July 10 by the U.S. Marshals Task Force.

Carr was charged with theft of USPS mailbox fees and robbery of a USPS letter carrier. He appeared in court today, July 13, and was released on conditions including electronic monitoring.

The Rochester Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.