Sacramento County man sentenced for mail theft conspiracy, robbery of postal carrier
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a Sacramento County man to 10 years, one month in federal prison for his involvement in the armed robbery of a U.S. postal carrier in which the conspirators stole a master mailbox key and used it to steal mailed bankcards and checks.
In July, Damian Deleal, 33, of Carmichael pleaded guilty to armed robbery of a U.S. mail carrier and bank fraud for the 2018 mail theft conspiracy. Three others have been convicted and sentenced in federal court for their roles in the conspiracy, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
“Prosecuting robberies like this one is important to promote respect for the law and provide just punishment,” U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in the news release. “Mail carriers play an important part in the everyday workings of our country’s mail system, economy, and critical infrastructures. They should be able to do their jobs without the fear of being robbed or assaulted.”
Deleal, who also is known as “Pony Boy,” was arrested three years ago along with alleged co-conspirators Jacey Alexandra Powell, Brandon Lee Moses and Loren Shawn Patrick. They were arrested after the March 9, 2018 robbery of the postal carrier in Carmichael, who was held at gunpoint.
Prosecutors said an unnamed co-conspirator forced the mail carrier to hand over the postal service key. Authorities have said the juvenile robber was brandishing a BB gun that looked like a real pistol.
Deleal and Powell gave the replica pistol to the juvenile, who walked up to the mail vehicle in Carmichael and brandished the weapon while approaching the postal carrier standing at the rear of the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in 2018 in U.S. District Court Eastern District of California.
The complaint indicated the postal carrier was targeted in the robbery and only the carrier’s mailbox keys were stolen. In the following five days, the suspects stole reams of mail from boxes on area streets, forged checks, researched online the backgrounds of mail theft victims and tried to make purchases or bank withdrawals, according to the complaint.
Deleal, Powell, Moses and Patrick used the key to steal mailed bankcards and checks to make purchases and obtain cash, according to U.S. Attorney’s news release. As an investigation was launched, Deleal and Powell conspired to claim reward money offered for information about the robbery of the mail carrier and the stolen postal service key, prosecutors said.
Deleal and Powell planted the stolen mailbox key on Moses as he was sleeping in his car and they called the U.S. Postal Service to report Moses’ location and asked about the reward, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said investigators quickly made arrests and determined that Deleal orchestrated the conspiracy and related crimes.
Moses, Powell and Patrick have already pleaded guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced. Moses was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison, Powell received a two-year prison sentence and Patrick received a two-month prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Postal officials said the conspirators disposed of the evidence by burning the mail or burying it by mixing it with mud and human excrement. Authorities in the investigation used security camera videos of the suspects trying to make purchases with a stolen bank card and cash withdrawals, along with video of the mail carrier being robbed.
