LOS ANGELES, CA – William Crosby IV, 32, of Inglewood, California, admitted today to orchestrating a brazen scheme that saw nearly $240,000 stolen from U.S. Postal Service trucks. Crosby, a former USPS supervisor, pleaded guilty to robbery of United States property and using a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, bringing him face-to-face with a potential life sentence.
The plot unfolded between August 2017 and March 2018. Crosby, leveraging his insider knowledge of USPS cash transport schedules – information unavailable to most employees – conspired with others to target trucks carrying proceeds from money order sales and merchandise. According to the plea agreement, the total loss from the burglary and two armed robberies amounted to $238,457.
The first strike occurred on August 1, 2017, at the Dockweiler Post Office in South Los Angeles. Crosby tipped off his co-conspirators to a truck loaded with cash. A conspirator, disguised in a Postal Service shirt, simply walked onto the loading dock and made off with $128,236. The operation escalated on February 1, 2018, at the Wagner Post Office near Inglewood. Crosby, acting as a lookout, watched as a minivan blocked the USPS truck. A robber then threatened the driver with a firearm and stole $37,658.
Crosby’s greed didn’t stop there. On March 1, 2018, he called in sick to the Wagner Post Office but instead positioned himself near the Dockweiler Post Office, staking out the loading dock. After the USPS truck departed, Crosby and his crew followed, boxing it in with a rented Mercedes-Benz SUV as it exited the 110 Freeway at Slauson Avenue. Another co-conspirator brandished a gun, controlled the driver, and absconded with $72,563.
Crosby’s half-brother, Myron Crosby, 28, of Inglewood, is also implicated in the scheme and is slated to stand trial on September 3. The investigation was a joint effort by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk and Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky are prosecuting the case. Crosby faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, plus a mandatory consecutive seven-year sentence for the firearms charge. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28.
The brazenness of the scheme, exploiting a position of trust within the Postal Service, underscores the vulnerability of cash transport operations. Authorities are likely to review USPS security protocols in light of this case. The investigation remains ongoing, and further charges are possible.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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