SC man attacked mail carrier at day care, then threw her from moving truck, prosecutor says
A South Carolina man is going to prison following an attack on a U.S. Postal Mail Carrier that began inside a day care facility and continued when he threw her from a moving mail truck, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Gregory Ellison, a 42-year-old Orangeburg resident, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to assault on a federal employee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
The assault happened March 20, 2023, at a day care facility in Orangeburg, according to the release.
Ellison, who had a prior relationship with the mail carrier, arrived at the facility, and the victim tried to escape into the day care, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Ellison caught her and began assaulting the victim inside of the facility where children and workers were present, according to the release.
The mail carrier convinced Ellison to leave the facility and talk outside, but when they exited Ellison pinned the victim against the mail truck, ripped out her earring, and took her cellphone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The mail carrier distracted Ellison long enough to get into her mail truck and drive away, but Ellison caught up to the truck, punched her in the head, and pulled the victim out of the moving vehicle by her hair — causing her to land on dirt and concrete resulting in visible injuries, according to the release. The truck continued to roll and crashed into a nearby ditch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Information on the victim’s condition was not available.
An investigation showed that Ellison previously visited the carrier’s place of employment multiple times in the weeks leading up to the assault, according to the release.
Additionally, a search of Ellison’s social media account revealed that he had sent multiple messages to the victim before and after the assault threatening to kill her with a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Prior to the assault, he also sent messages to two other individuals asking for a gun, according to the release.
Ellison has prior convictions for third-degree domestic violence and second-degree harassment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Following the three-plus year prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon ordered that Ellison undergo three years of supervision, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“While this incident stemmed from domestic violence, this sentencing clearly illustrates that individuals who endanger the safety and well-being of USPS workers will be held accountable for their actions,” said Tommy Coke, inspector-in-charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case. Ellison was previously represented by Robert Mellard of the public defender’s office, Orangeburg County court records show.
