Baton Rouge man arrested after found with checks stolen from a mailbox, Slidell Police say

A Baton Rouge man was arrested by Slidell Police, after the stolen car he was driving was found with more than 50 checks inside, taken from a U.S. Post Office in the Baton Rouge area, officials said. 

On Friday, a detective with the Slidell patrol unit saw a man later identified as Rashawn Robinson-Mills, 21, of Baton Rouge, pull a pistol from his waistband while leaving a gas station in Slidell. 

Robinson-Mills got into a 2016 Dodge Challenger, which was reported stolen and had a switched license plate, Slidell Police said in a statement Sunday. 

During the traffic stop that followed, Robinson-Mills was found to be in possession of more than 50 stolen checks, taken from a Baton Rouge area U.S. Postal Service mailbox, Slidell Police said. 

Robinson-Mills was arrested and booked into the Slidell City Jail on counts of illegal possession of stolen things over $25,000, illegal carrying of weapons and illegal carrying of weapons in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance, possession of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, having a switched license plate and the unlawful production, manufacturing, distribution or possession of fraudulent documents for identification purpose.

Robinson-Mills was later transported to the St. Tammany Parish jail.

Federal authorities were contacted and are expected to file additional counts against Robinson-Mills, the Slidell Police said. 

Robberies of mailboxes have become a nationwide problem. A wave of the thefts hit Baton Rouge last October after a Spanish Town mail carrier was robbed at gunpoint for her mailbox keys.