In November 2023, two Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers in Edina and Brooklyn Center were robbed at gunpoint for their postal keys. Investigation by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Edina Police Department, and Brooklyn Center Police Department identified Rubin Adams as one of the suspects, in addition to co-conspirators Roc Davenier Adams, herein DEFENDANT ADAMS, Ashley Hollman, herein DEFENDANT HOLLMAN, Arterria Lipsey, herein DEFENDANT LIPSEY, and Raheem Brown, herein DEFENDANT BROWN. From November 19, 2023, through January 4, 2024, there were numerous reports of checks originally mailed from blue USPS collection boxes in Brooklyn Center that had been stolen and subsequently altered, forged, or counterfeited.
The USPS collection boxes most frequently impacted were those located at the Brooklyn Center Post Office ([ADDRESS REDACTED] N, 55429), Cub Foods ([ADDRESS REDACTED] 10, 55429), and CVS Pharmacy ([ADDRESS REDACTED], 55429). In total, the investigation identified $343,481.61 in attempted losses and $59,580.92 in actual losses related to the check fraud scheme. Rubin Adams was arrested on a federal search warrant in January 2024 and in May 2025 was sentenced. DEFENDANT ADAMS is Rubin Adams’ brother.
DEFENDANT LIPSEY AND DEFENDANT BROWN INVOLVMENT Throughout the investigation, several vehicles were identified from these locations regarding the mail thefts. One of those vehicles was a Dodge Charger that was owned by DEFENDANT LIPSEY. Cell phone data placed Rubin Adams and DEFENDANT LIPSEY at the Brooklyn Center Cub Foods collection box on November 26, 2023, and at the Brooklyn Center Post Office on December 25, 2023. On January 4, 2024, investigators served a federal search warrant on DEFENDANT LIPSEY'S apartment.
Rubin Adams was present and arrested on his own federal warrant. Among the items discovered at DEFENDANT LIPSEY'S residence were 235 stolen or counterfeit checks with a total face value of $758,086.92. Eighty-three of those checks, totaling $32,006.33, were checks from accountholders living in the area serviced by the Brooklyn Center Post Office. Some of these checks were discovered inside toilets, as DEFENDANT LIPSEY and Rubin Adams were presumably trying to dispose of them prior to law enforcement entering the residence.
In a post-Miranda interview, DEFENDANT LIPSEY stated she was Rubin Adams' girlfriend and that he asked her to cash checks from people she did not know. DEFENDANT LIPSEY stated Rubin Adams brought her to Wells Fargo and Walmart to cash the checks. DEFENDANT LIPSEY stated she gave all the money to Rubin Adams. DEFENDANT LIPSEY was involved with the following fraudulent checks: - On November 28, 2023, C. M. Reported mailing four or five checks from the Brooklyn Center Post Office and that U. S. Bank had called and stated DEFENDANT LIPSEY attempted to cash a $1,068.93 check.
