U.S. Department
of Justice
Charges Filed in the Armed Robbery of a Postal Maintenance Worker and Multiple High-Volume Thefts of U.S. Mail from Multi-Family Luxury Residences in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland
WASHINGTON – Ibrahim Emmanuel De La Cruz, 25, of Washington D.C., was extradited to face charges filed by criminal complaint with the alleged high-volume thefts of U.S. Mail in Washington D.C., Arlington Va., and Bowie, Maryland, as well as an armed robbery of a Postal maintenance worker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Special Agent-in-Charge Jacob Cameron, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington Field Office.
The 43-page complaint, filed in September 2024 in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, charges De La Cruz with multiple counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail and the August 10, 2024, armed robbery of a postal maintenance worker.
“The defendant is charged with robbing a postal worker and repeatedly raiding mail collection boxes, apparently seeking to use the checks, credit cards, and personal identifying information he stole for his financial benefit. We stand ready to partner with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to hold accountable those who assault postal carriers and those who steal the valuable letters and items we depend on the Postal Service to ship,” said U.S. Attorney Graves for the District of Columbia.
“The safety and security of the U.S. mail, our employees and customers remain central to the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood. “Protecting postal workers from crimes of violence and bringing those criminals who perpetuate these crimes to justice is of great importance. This case highlights the critical work of Postal Inspectors in safeguarding the integrity of the mail and pursuing individuals who commit theft or fraud against individuals. We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to ensure that criminals are held accountable.”
According to the complaint, beginning in December 2023, multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD), began investigating multiple high-volume mail thefts from mailboxes at multi-family luxury residences and the potentially related robberies of letter carriers and other victims in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The investigation found that a man was using stolen U.S. Postal Service “arrow keys” to access USPS collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment mailbox panels. The suspect in the thefts resembled a man who had robbed a postal maintenance worker of his arrow keys on August 10, 2024, while the suspect appeared to be gripping a pistol tucked into his waistband.
Through surveillance camera footage, Instagram posts, and cell phone tracking, De La Cruz was tied to a theft of mail from two apartment complexes on February 19, 2024, on the 2300 block of Champlain Street NW; the theft of mail from collection box units on February 29, 2024, from the 1600 block of R Street NW; the theft of mail using a stolen arrow key on March 3, 2024, from an outdoor locked mail area on the 2200 block of 17th Street NW; the theft of mail using a stolen arrow key on March 4, 2024, from the 2400 block of Ontario Road, NW; the theft of mail on March 5, 2024, from the 2100 block of California Avenue NW; theft of mail on March 5, 2024, from the National Landing in Arlington, Va.; the theft of mail from cluster boxes using an arrow key on March 21, 2024, on the 1500 block of Pointer Ridge Place in Bowie, MD; and theft of mail on August 10, 2024, from the 700 block of Parkside Place, NE.
De La Cruz is also suspected of using personal identifying information gleaned from the stolen mail to obtain bank accounts and credit cards in other people’s names. The defendant allegedly used money stolen from accounts to pay for student tuition, rent, utilities, and cell phone bills. According to the complaint, De La Cruz also posted a rap on YouTube boasting of his exploits.