Judges sentences St. Louis man for carjacking postal employee from government vehicle

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Bryant Willingham to 60 months in prison today. The 40-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking.

On April 8, 2020, Willingham approached a postal employee, inside a postal vehicle, delivering mail in the 5900 block of Tara Lane in St. Louis. Willingham tried to open the front passenger door, but the door was locked. However, the window to the door was down. Willingham climbed into passenger seat through the open window.

The postal employee began to drive away to keep Willingham from getting into the vehicle. Once he got inside, Willingham told the postal employee to keep driving. The postal employee, fearing for his life, slowed the vehicle and jumped out. Willingham climbed into the driver's seat and drove the postal vehicle away.

A few minutes later, Willingham crashed the postal vehicle at the intersection of Jennings Station and Lewis and Clark Roads. Willingham fled and boarded a Metro bus. The bus driver, a short time later, flagged down a St. Louis County Police Officer who boarded the bus and arrested Willingham.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney John Ware is handling the case.