A 62-year-old Michigan man has been sentenced to one year in jail after attacking a Black postal worker who was delivering campaign flyers for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Russell Valleau was convicted in February 2025 following a disturbing racist assault on the mail carrier, which took place in September 2024.
Attack Triggered by Political Mail
According to federal prosecutors, Valleau became enraged when he saw a flyer supporting Kamala Harris in his mailbox. The woman, a Black postal worker, was sitting in her USPS truck when Valleau aggressively approached and began yelling at her. He told her he didn’t want that “Black b— in my mailbox” and hurled racist insults at her.
Even when she calmly told him that he could throw the mail away if he didn’t want it, Valleau refused to back down.
Knife Threat Stopped by Quick Thinking
The situation escalated when the woman asked Valleau to step away from her vehicle. Instead, he lunged at her with a knife. Thankfully, the mail carrier was able to defend herself using USPS-issued mace. She sprayed him in the face and quickly drove away, avoiding serious injury.
Continued Racist Outbursts After Arrest
Valleau was later arrested and taken into custody, but even then, his behavior didn’t improve. Authorities said he continued using offensive slurs, calling the letter carrier a “f—king smelly n—ger.” When officers reprimanded him, Valleau responded, “Oh, you like n—gers.”
Jury Conviction and Sentencing
After a three-day trial, it took the jury only two hours to find Valleau guilty. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail for the attack.
Defense Blames Mental Health and Alcohol
Valleau’s lawyer, James Amberg, argued that his client was not “inherently racist” and blamed the attack on a mix of mental health struggles and alcohol abuse. Amberg said Valleau had been waiting on a Social Security check and was not seeking out political confrontation.
He described Valleau’s life as an “endless cycle of alcohol, jail, alcohol, jail” and insisted that Valleau is “not evil,” claiming he has a “peppy personality” when sober. The defense asked for a sentence of time served, noting Valleau had been in jail since his arrest in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney: This Behavior Won’t Be Tolerated
After the sentencing, Acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck condemned Valleau’s actions:
“A letter carrier was simply trying to do her job, and this defendant physically attacked her while using racist and offensive language. This type of behavior has no place in our community and will not be tolerated.”