In 2018, three men from Batesville, Mississippi, orchestrated and executed the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service worker. This week, they faced the consequences of their actions, each receiving sentences exceeding a decade in prison.
Jamarr Smith, 38, and Gilbert McThunel II, 37, were both sentenced to 10 years and eight months, while their accomplice, Thomas Iroko Ayodele, 40, received a slightly longer sentence of 11 years and three months. Following their release, each individual will be under supervision for five years. The court also mandated restitution to the U.S. Postal Service for the stolen funds and to the postal worker to cover medical expenses resulting from injuries sustained during the robbery.
The robbery occurred on February 5, 2018, as the postal worker collected mail from the Lake Cormorant Post Office for transport to the Memphis distribution center. McThunel physically assaulted the carrier, striking him multiple times in the face with a weapon, issuing death threats, and ultimately stealing bags of money from the postal truck. Ayodele facilitated the crime by providing transportation for McThunel, dropping him off at the post office before the robbery and picking him up afterward. Meanwhile, Smith played the role of a lookout from a separate vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner emphasized the commitment of the U.S. attorney's office to combating violent crime, stating, "Combatting violent crime and protection of our citizens is one of the highest priorities... We hope that today's sentence will serve as a message to all who would target or victimize their fellow citizens... Such acts will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to see that violent criminals and those who assist them are incarcerated for their crimes."
