WASHINGTON (7News) — The man is accused of stealing mail packages from luxury homes in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and participating in an armed robbery of a postal maintenance worker, officials said.
Ibrahim Emanuel de la Cruz, 25, of Washington, D.C., is accused of armed robbery of a postal worker in August, as well as multiple counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. was charged with a crime. of Colombia.
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Starting in December 2023, multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies began investigating a spate of mail thefts at luxury apartment complexes throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, officials said. During the investigation, authorities said they discovered that the man, later identified as Delacruz, had used stolen U.S. mail keys to open the USPS collection box and the apartment’s mailbox panel. Mr. Delacruz is also suspected of being involved in an armed robbery of a postal maintenance worker on August 10th.
“The defendant is accused of robbing postal workers and repeatedly raiding mail collection boxes, and it appears he intended to use the stolen checks, credit cards, and personal identification information for financial gain. In partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, we stand ready to hold accountable those who assault mail carriers and steal valuable letters and items that depend on the Postal Service for shipment.” Damon E. Wood said.
Police surveillance footage, Instagram posts, and cell phone tracking revealed that Delacruz was suspected of being involved in:
February 19, 2024, theft of mail from two apartment complexes in the 2300 block of Champlain Street, NW. On February 29, 2024, theft of mail from a collection box in the 1600 block of R Street, NW. On March 3, 2024, theft of mail from an outdoor locked mail area in the 2200 block of Northwest 17th Street using stolen arrow keys. Theft of mail using stolen arrow keys on March 4, 2024, in the 2400 block of Ontario Road, Northwest. March 5, 2024, theft of mail from the 2100 block of California Avenue, NW. March 5, 2024, theft of mail from National Landing in Arlington, Virginia. Theft of mail from a cluster box using arrow keys on March 21, 2024 in the 1500 block of Pointer Ridge Place in Bowie, Maryland. Mail theft on Aug. 10, 2024, in the 700 block of Parkside Place, Northeast.
Authorities also accuse Delacruz of using personal identifying information obtained from stolen mail to obtain bank accounts and credit cards in other people’s names. Delacruz allegedly used funds from the account to pay students’ tuition, rent and cell phone bills.
“The safety and security of America’s mail, our employees and customers, remain at the heart of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s mission,” said Inspector Damon E. Wood. “Protecting postal workers from violent crimes and bringing to justice the criminals who perpetuate these crimes is critically important. This highlights the important work of postal inspectors in pursuing criminals. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure criminals are held accountable.”
