COLUMBUS – A Columbus man was arrested Monday after being indicted on federal charges related to armed robberies of postal carriers.
Anthony (“AJ”) Williams, 19, was arrested in Pittsburgh after being charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, aggravated robbery of property of the United States, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
The arrest of Williams is the latest in a federal crackdown on thefts from postal workers in Columbus and elsewhere.
According to the indictment, Williams in 2022 robbed two postal carriers of the service keys used to access US Postal Service “blue boxes” and steal checks and money orders.
Williams allegedly brandished a Glock 19 firearm and stole a postal carrier’s key on Nov. 9, 2022, on Michigan Avenue in Columbus. Williams allegedly received $2,000 from co-conspirators for stealing the key.
The four-count indictment details that Williams allegedly conspired with at least four other individuals to rob postal service employees of their keys.
On Christmas Eve in 2022, Williams allegedly punched a Canal Winchester postal carrier who was working on Kodiak Drive and threatened to kill him if he did not turn over his postal service key.
Amid a surge in robberies and mail thefts, the Postal Service is replacing tens of thousands of antiquated keys and installing thousands of high-security collection boxes.
Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by at least seven years and up to life in prison, aggravated robbery of government property carries a potential penalty of up to 25 years in prison and conspiring to commit an offense against the United States is punishable by up to five years in prison, according to Kenneth Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.