A D.C. man has been charged with stealing mail in D.C., Arlington, Virginia, and Bowie, Maryland, throughout 2024 after stealing arrow keys from a postal worker in December 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of D.C.
Ibrahim Emmanuel De La Cruz, 25, has also been charged in the armed robbery of another postal worker in August 2024.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said De La Cruz repeatedly raided mail collections boxes, stealing checks, credit cards and personal information that was used in attempts to create fraudulent bank accounts. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Arlington Police Department and D.C. police.
“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 Matthew Graves.
Investigators said surveillance videos captured a man that looked like De La Cruz stealing mail with specialized arrow keys from luxury apartment mailboxes or carrying away boxes of mail left in apartment lobbies across Northwest D.C., Arlington and Bowie from February 2024 to August 2024.
Officials identified De La Cruz after sifting through social media posts that matched the suspect’s description, which included similar glasses, a large Afro, a watch, a spider web-covered graphic hoodie and even a Canada Goose jacket worn during many of the mail thefts.
Authorities also connected the D.C. resident to the crimes via cellphone-tracking technology, online posts where he showed off a firearm and a YouTube video, in which he rapped about stealing money from people, singing “I be bustin’ scans every week, he ain’t got no cash. And I’m getting checks off of mail.”
De La Cruz is suspected of using money stolen from victim’s accounts to pay for student tuition, rent, utilities, retail shopping and cellphone bills for himself, his family and two co-conspirators he was in romantic relationships with. He is also accused of creating a fraudulent New Jersey license in an attempt to open a banking account in a victim’s name.
The charges include five counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail and one count of armed robbery of property.
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