A man convicted of robbing an Oakland letter carrier last December has been given a 51-month federal prison sentence. (File)
OAKLAND – A man was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison Friday in the armed robbery last December of a postal service letter carrier in Oakland, officials said.
Kevin Allan Fowler, 31, a resident of the East Bay, was convicted June 15 of robbing a mail carrier on Dec. 2, 2021 on Merritt Avenue near Lake Merritt.
According to a press release from federal prosecutors, Fowler plead guilty to armed robbery in a plea agreement.
The release said Fowler admitted walking past the letter carrier as she was approaching a building to deliver mail. He then returned, demanded she turn over her keys and when she refused he admitted taking out and brandishing a handgun.
The letter carrier then handed over her vehicle keys and two United States Postal Service keys to Fowler who fled in another vehicle.
The vehicle was subsequently identified through surveillance video and Fowler was stopped in it days later by Oakland police officers and arrested. According to the release, he had a loaded P80 9mm handgun magazine and a counterfeit USPS mail key in his possession. The keys stolen from the letter carrier were not recovered but she was able to identify him as the suspect, the release said. Federal charges were filed against him Jan. 19.
Fowler was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr.. In addition to the 51 months in prison, he was given a five-year period of supervision after his release and was ordered to pay restitution to the letter carrier. He began serving his term Friday.
Originally published at Harry Harris