MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – A 44-year-old man from Shawano County has been sentenced to federal prison for firing a shotgun at a U.S. Postal Service carrier while she was delivering mail.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Benjamin Joos of Tigerton was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the September 2024 incident, which left the postal worker injured and her vehicle damaged.
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Court records show the carrier was delivering mail around 3:00 p.m. on Sept. 24 when her passenger-side window suddenly shattered and she felt pain in her arms. She looked over to see Joos holding a shotgun pointed directly at her, yelling, “Get away from my box,” and “Leave my mail alone.”
The carrier immediately left the area and contacted law enforcement. Joos later admitted to consuming four to five whiskey and Coke drinks before the shooting. His blood alcohol content was measured at 0.178—more than twice the legal limit for intoxication—hours after the incident.
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At sentencing, the judge acknowledged Joos’s lack of criminal history, strong community ties, and consistent employment. However, the court concluded that the serious nature of the crime and its traumatic impact on the victim warranted prison time.
In addition to the 18-month sentence, Joos was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay more than $10,000 in restitution to the victim.
