Court records: Dayton man used social media to plan, discuss letter carrier robberies
May 2—A Dayton man is accused of using social media to plan robbing letter carriers and stealing mail to cash fraudulent checks.
Anthony Parks was indicted on conspiracy to commit bank fraud and robbery of a letter carrier in federal court in April.
A U.S. postal inspector linked Parks to two armed robberies of letter carriers in Dayton where suspects stole the letter carriers' arrow keys, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio.
Arrow keys give mail carriers access to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.
The first robbery was reported around 12:43 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2022, in the 2200 block of Ravenwood Avenue in Dayton.
An armed male reportedly approached the letter carrier, displayed a gun and demanded the arrow key. The letter carrier handed over the key and the suspect fled in a vehicle waiting nearby.
In March 2023, an Oakwood police officer stopped a Chevrolet Malibu for improper display of a license plate.
Parks and a second man were in the vehicle and consented to a vehicle search.
Officers found stolen mail in the car and arrested both men. While they were being booked, police inspected the other man's protective case on his cellphone and found a USPS arrow key between the case and the phone, according to court records.
The serial number on the key matched the one stolen during the Ravenwood Avenue robbery.
The second robbery was at 2:08 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2023, in the 4600 block of Merrick Drive in Dayton.
Three males approached a letter carrier, and one pulled put a gun and put it against the letter carrier's chest, according to court records.
The letter carrier gave the group the arrow key and the key to the USPS delivery truck.
While canvassing the area a few days later, investigators received video surveillance footage of two of the suspects prior to the robbery.
Investigators reviewed Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway information about Parks, who previously was caught with stolen mail, and noted Parks matched the description of one of the suspects in the Merrick Drive robbery.
Investigators checked Bureau of Motor Vehicles records for Parks' driver's license photo taken earlier in 2023, and noticed he was wearing a sweatshirt that matched the sweatshirt worn by a suspect in the Merrick Drive robbery, according to the complaint.
Investigators learned Parks operated two Instagram accounts and received a warrant to search the accounts.
He allegedly used the accounts to conduct various criminal activities, including planning to rob letter carriers, steal mail and fraudulently alter checks.
Some of the messages from July and September 2023 included Parks discussing needing more guns and another person sending a video of a letter carrier with a voiceover stating, "he got the key," according to court records.
Following the Merrick Drive robbery Parks exchanged messages with another account about the keys stolen during the robbery. He also sent messages to the account discussing cashing an altered check and received a picture of the check, according to the complaint.
Parks was arrested on April 11. During a hearing on April 16, Magistrate Judge Peter Silvain Jr. ordered Parks remain in custody pending trial.
Parks has a status report on June 23 and is scheduled to go to trial on June 30.
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