Two Convicted, Trial Awaits for Third Suspect in Post Office Armed Robbery in Lakewood

Two men who initially escaped authorities after a violent armed robbery of a post office in June 2011 were convicted earlier this month and are scheduled for sentencing May 7.

A third suspect awaits a secondary trial, according to court documents.

Keenan R. Ellis and Reginald D. Baldwin were found guilty of robbing the . Chauncey L. Williams, however, faces two additional charges of drug trafficking and gun possession after being pulled over by Lakewood Police about one month after the armed robbery.

Police found a gun and 300 ecstasy pills hidden under the console in his vehicle when Lakewood Police arrested him July 10 during a traffic stop, said Gregory A. Gruber, assistant U.S. attorney.

Williams was held in Pierce County jail on state charges until those were dismissed in lieu of federal charges in December, according to Gruber. If convicted on all four charges, Williams could serve a mandatory 32-year sentence in federal prison, Gruber said.

Williams—who was discharged from the Army in 2009—appeared before U.S. District Court Judge J. Richard Creatura on Tuesday for a detention hearing. His defense attorney requested his release stemming from a 10-2 hung jury on Feb. 21 for his alleged involvement in the postal robbery.

Creatura denied it.

"There's a very high bar for release pending trial," Creatura said. "Unfortunately, you don’t meet that bar. You haven’t met the requirements in order for you to be released."

Patch that Lakewood Police said one of the suspects held a lone store employee at gunpoint and stole an unknown amount of cash at 4:47 p.m. in June 2011. The employee was not assaulted nor injured.

The small contract post office is located at 8404 83rd Ave. S.W.