A bold thief has been apprehended months after he was caught on camera looting a US Postal Service mail storage box in Brooklyn. Ebrahima Bah, 20, was captured on video snatching two white garbage bags filled with mail from a USPS relay box at Kingston Avenue and Carroll Street in Crown Heights on November 4th, according to authorities and prosecutors.
Bah, allegedly armed with a key, effortlessly accessed the federal box to commit the crime. It is common for mail thieves to steal keys from postal carriers, sometimes resorting to armed robberies, or purchasing them from corrupt employees. The stolen mail often contains credit cards or checks that can be altered to rewrite the amount, as per sources.
The thief then sped away in a white sedan with New Jersey license plates, driven by an accomplice, as seen in the footage captured by a witness and shared by the Jewish neighborhood watch group Crown Heights Shomrim. Bah’s arrest took place on March 28th for the audacious heist, with charges including possession of burglary tools, petty larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property.
Bah’s connection to the theft came to light following an unrelated arrest a day earlier, where he was caught driving a Mercedes Benz with missing license plates, a tinted windshield, and a suspended license on Regent Place in Flatbush. Despite the charges, Bah was released on his own recognizance in both cases, as they were not eligible for bail.
Mail theft is a widespread issue nationwide, with Brooklyn and Queens being prime targets in New York City. Postal Inspection Service Acting Inspector in Charge Ed Gallashaw emphasized the importance of cooperation with the public in sending a clear message that crimes against the U.S. Mail will not be tolerated. The NYPD also played a crucial role in the mission to combat mail theft and related financial crimes that jeopardize the nation’s mail system and communities.
