Man arrested on federal charges for allegedly robbing local post office

Federal charges were filed against a suspect Tuesday for allegedly robbing a Mid-Missouri post office.

Deputies in Laclede County arrested Lucas Branstetter, 38, after finding a stolen motorcycle from Kansas City. They arrested him Monday during a route call for suspicious activity.

According to a federal affadavit, Branstetter allegedly rode a motorcycle into the parking lot of the Kingdom City post office Saturday morning. He went inside through the front door and set a backpack on the counter, revealing a handwritten note that read, “This is robbery.” The clerk read the first line of the note and gave Branstetter $310 cash from her cash drawer.

Branstetter then left the post office on a motorcycle.

After talking to the Callaway County sheriff’s office and U.S. postal investigators, Branstetter was charged Tuesday and taken into federal custody. He was transferred to an undisclosed location.

The Callaway County sheriff’s department says Branstetter already has prior convictions for robbery, burglary and forgery. Those cover five Mid-Missouri counties, including Boone, Callaway, Osage, Cole, and Audrain.