Columbus man pleads guilty to armed robbery of postal workers

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus man has pleaded guilty to robbing a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint. 

A.J. Williams, 20, pleaded guilty Thursday to counts of brandishing a firearm in a violent crime, aggravated robbery of U.S. property and conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S.

According to court documents, Williams committed an armed robbery against a postal worker who was delivering mail on Michigan Avenue in November, 2022. He threatened the mail carrier with a borrowed Glock19 and demanded his postal keys.

According to a release from Kenneth Parker, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Williams then stole the keys directly from the victim's belt and sent photos of them to a co-conspirator.

According to court documents, Williams robbed another postal worker on Christmas eve of 2022, allegedly punching the mail carrier in the face and threatening to kill him if he did not surrender his postal keys.

Williams was also accused of using the keys to rob a series of locked mail receptacles, which he did with several co-conspirators. He is also accused of altering stolen checks and using third parties to deposit them into personal accounts.

He was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in Pittsburgh in January. 

Williams’ plea includes a recommended sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison, or between seven and nine years.