Winston McLeod, a 31-year-old resident of Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to a series of crimes targeting U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees and facilities in Maine.
According to court records, McLeod and an accomplice, Lance Funderburk, 30, of Brooklyn, NY, embarked on a week-long crime spree in January 2024. They burglarized two post offices in Paris and North Monmouth, making off with money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items.
The duo then escalated their criminal activity, robbing two postal carriers in Lewiston at knifepoint. They threatened to stab the carriers unless they handed over their postal keys.
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Law enforcement identified McLeod through a photo on the lock screen of a phone found outside one of the burglarized post offices. The two men were later apprehended during a traffic stop.
McLeod pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of a postal carrier, two counts of burglary of a post office, and one count of conspiracy to rob postal carriers and burgle a U.S. Post Office. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each robbery charge, and up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each burglary and conspiracy charge. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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The case against Funderburk is ongoing.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping the U.S. Mail, its employees, and customers safe. Today’s plea is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between our local and federal law enforcement partners. The swift response by responding officers and their ongoing support were instrumental in making this a successful investigation,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Ensuring the safety of our employees is a top priority, Postal Inspectors will continue to thoroughly investigate any robberies of our employees and burglaries of our facilities.”
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