A Springfield man, Larry French Jr., has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for assaulting a United States Postal Service employee. The sentence was handed down on January 14, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless and includes two years of supervised release following the prison term.
The incident occurred on May 15, 2024, when French assaulted a postal carrier who intervened during an altercation between French and his sister on a public street in Springfield. The confrontation blocked the USPS carrier's vehicle at an intersection. When the carrier threatened to call the police, French approached and punched him through an open window. The attack resulted in injuries requiring corrective surgery for the postal worker.
Judge Lawless remarked that French acted irrationally and caused serious bodily harm to the victim, who was attempting to stop the initial attack as a Good Samaritan.
French was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in September of the same year. He has been held by the United States Marshal since his arrest.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore prosecuted the case.