Federal Indictment Charges Man With Assaulting and Robbing T...

CHICAGO - A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly assaulting and robbing two U.S. Postal Service carriers in a Chicago suburb.

DEVAN FLAX, 21, of Chicago, assaulted and robbed a postal carrier on Nov. 25, 2023, and another on Nov. 28, 2023, in Forest Park, Ill., according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Flax robbed the carriers of a U.S. Postal Service key, the indictment states.

The indictment also accuses Flax of robbing an employee of a Berwyn, Ill. pizzeria on Nov. 26, 2023.

Flax is currently detained in law enforcement custody. He was arraigned on Oct. 16, 2024, in federal court in Chicago and pleaded not guilty to assault, robbery, and firearm charges. A status hearing is set for Nov. 20, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Forest Park, Ill. Police Department, and Lombard, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Stone and Simar Khera.

"U.S. Postal Service employees delivering mail to the American people must be allowed to do so safely and securely," said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. "Individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail must be held accountable."

"This indictment is another example of the roles Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers," said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. "As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants."

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.