Federal authorities on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, locked in a 144-month federal prison sentence for a New Orleans man who robbed a U.S. Postal Service carrier at gunpoint last December. U.S. District Judge Darrel Papillion imposed the 12-year term and ordered five years of supervised release, court records show. The carrier was shaken but not physically injured during the incident.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Jody Harris Jr. pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to assaulting a postal worker and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and had agreed to cap his exposure at 12 years as part of a plea deal, as reported by NOLA.com. At sentencing, the judge imposed 144 months behind bars and five years of court supervision, the outlet reported. NOLA.com quoted the judge as warning Harris, "You can't run away or escape the long arm of the law."
The Hollygrove Robbery
The attack took place on Dec. 16, 2024, when the suspect approached a carrier on the 8400 block of Forshey Street, brandished a pistol and demanded checks and keys before fleeing with the truck and mail satchel, according to Fox 8. Witnesses told local reporters the carrier later recovered his vehicle and appeared unhurt. The New Orleans Police Department turned the investigation over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which led the federal probe.
Investigation And Arrest
Investigators identified Harris and arrested him after tracing him to an apartment and then to his mother's home, court filings and local reports show, as reported by Postal Times. He was charged in federal court with offenses stemming from the robbery and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities say the case was the result of cooperation between the Postal Inspection Service and the NOPD.
Court Records Show Weapon, Stolen Mail Recovered
Court documents detailed by NOLA.com say agents recovered a loaded 9mm Beretta, a USPS arrow key used to open mail trucks, the carrier's scanner and mail satchel after the arrests. Federal authorities categorized Harris as a career offender under federal sentencing guidelines, and NOLA.com reported he pleaded guilty in 2015 to multiple counts of attempted second-degree murder and later served time in state custody. Prosecutors told the court the plea and the career-offender label supported a lengthy federal term, and Harris was ordered to five years of supervision following his release.
The sentence brings a federal end to a case that rattled Hollygrove neighbors and highlights the federal role in investigating crimes that target postal workers. Harris will remain in federal custody as he is processed for transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.
