Columbus man accused in federal indictment of 2 armed robberies of USPS mail carriers

Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch
·1 min read
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U.S. Postal Service collection boxes on Jan. 3, 2024, in downtown Columbus. Anthony J. Williams, 19, of Columbus, is accused in a federal indictment of robbing postal carriers at gunpoint of their arrow keys that can access such collection boxes.
U.S. Postal Service collection boxes on Jan. 3, 2024, in downtown Columbus. Anthony J. Williams, 19, of Columbus, is accused in a federal indictment of robbing postal carriers at gunpoint of their arrow keys that can access such collection boxes.

A Columbus man has been arrested in Pittsburgh after a grand jury indicted him on charges in connection with the armed robberies of two U.S. Postal Service carriers in 2022 in the Columbus area.

Anthony J. Williams, 19, was arrested Monday and was to make his first appearance in federal court Tuesday in Pittsburgh before he is returned to Columbus to face the charges against him.

The indictment accuses Williams of conspiring with others to rob mail carriers of their arrow keys — universal keys that can access blue Postal Service mail collection boxes — so the group could steal mail, including checks and money orders. Central Ohio has seen several such robberies of carriers in the past few years.

Nationwide, according to the USPS, 412 carriers were robbed in 2022. In response, the Postal Service is rolling out digital locks to replace the universal keys and deter robberies.

According to the indictment, Williams threatened a USPS mail carrier with a gun to get an arrow key on Nov. 9, 2022, on Michigan Avenue in Columbus. The indictment also accuses Williams of threatening to kill a mail carrier working on Dec. 24, 2022, on Kodiak Drive in Canal Winchester and punching that worker in the face for their arrow key.

Williams allegedly received $2,000 from co-conspirators for stealing the first carrier's key, according to the indictment.

Williams is charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, aggravated robbery of U.S. property of the United States, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

If convicted as charged, Williams could face a lengthy prison sentence. The last charge alone is punishable by at least seven years and up to life in prison.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man charged with robbing 2 USPS carriers of their arrow keys