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AG charges 15 people with taking part in an organized crime ring that targeted USPS mailboxes, stole more than $200K

The organized crime ring would steal master keys that unlocked postal service drop boxes, authorities said.

Mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service at green mail storage container used to hold mail.
Mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service at green mail storage container used to hold mail.Read moreALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer

A crew of thieves stole more than $200,000 from people across the Philadelphia region by breaking into United States Postal Service drop boxes, pilfering checks, and forging and cashing them, authorities said Friday.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the arrests of 15 people she said were part of a “ruthless” Philadelphia-based organized crime ring that targeted postal drop boxes in the city and suburbs, including Willow Grove and Blue Bell.

Members of the crime ring would often use force to steal master keys to open USPS drop boxes or purchase the keys on the black market, authorities said. Such keys range in value from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on the location of the box, with keys to boxes in more affluent neighborhoods fetching a higher price.

Members of the crime ring would often hit drop boxes on Sunday night and take garbage bags full of mail to the Camden apartment of alleged ringleader William Logan to sort through, according to a grand jury presentment recommending charges in the case. Logan would often pay these “runners” with guns he had acquired through straw purchases in Michigan, the grand jury said.

It was unclear from court records whether Logan had retained an attorney.

The group recruited people over social media to help, authorities said.

Members of the crime ring spent the profits on illegal guns and luxury items, among other things, the presentment said.

Henry said the group netted profits in the six figures, taking money from people who were trying to pay bills or send money to family and friends. Sometimes, she said, the crime ring would resort to violence, including the shootings of rivals and the robbery of a postal worker.

Logan, 28, was charged with multiple crimes, including corrupt organizations, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery. He and his codefendants were in custody, authorities said.

Theft from postal boxes has been a problem in the city and beyond for several years, authorities said.