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Russell Valleau (DOC photo)
A 62-year-old Farmington Hills man was convicted Thursday in federal court in Detroit of a racially motivated assault against a Black postal carrier.
Russell Valleau was convicted of assaulting a federal employee. The jury found that he targeted the letter carrier because of her race.
He faces up to one year in prison, with sentencing set for May 27.
According to a court affidavit, on Sept. 26 of last year, Valleau—who was riding a bicycle—pulled up to the postal truck on Rockwell Street in Farmington Hills and began yelling profanities at the Black female postal carrier: "Black bitch, suck my dick."
The affidavit states that Valleau was upset about receiving mail from presidential candidate Kamala Harris and said he did not want that "Black bitch in my mailbox."
The carrier then told him to back away from the truck, adding that he could leave the unwanted mail in his mailbox and she would retrieve it.
"As she began to roll her window up, the man produced a knife and made a motion toward (her)," the affidavit said.
Fearing for her life, she used her postal-issued pepper spray on him. Valleau then fled on his bike. The carrier later told investigators that he appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Police later found him lying facedown on a nearby lawn. He had an orange substance on his face and was struggling to open his eyes.
According to a U.S. Attorney’s press release, Valleau continued using “offensive and profane language while in the custody of the officers” and referred to the letter carrier as a “f--king smelly n--ger.” When officers admonished him for his language, he responded: “Oh, you like n--gers?”
