Suspected L.A. gang members arrested by U.S. Postal Inspectors
At least one suspected member of a Los Angeles gang and multiple co-conspirators were arrested by United States Postal Inspectors and are facing several charges.
Antonio Hernandez, an alleged member of an infamous L.A. gang, was arrested alongside Ivan Murillo-Hernandez and Alexis Garcia Martinez, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The three have been charged with mail theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery of a Post Office. Several juveniles have also been implicated, officials said.
From at least November 2022 to August 2023, the three defendants allegedly stole mail from Post Offices across Los Angeles and Orange counties, using threats of force or other tactics in hopes of stealing mail that contained checks, cash or other valuables.
To date, officials say the crew stole more than $800,000 from victims around the state.
A crucial part of the scheme involved the recruitment and use of several juvenile co-conspirators, according to USPIS.
The defendants allegedly sought underage partners to provide them with debit cards and bank account information in hopes of depositing the stolen funds into their accounts without drawing suspicion. They would then quickly withdraw the fraudulent funds from the accounts or make purchase using the debit cards provided to them by the juvenile co-conspirators.
The leaders of the scheme allegedly promised their underage partners a cut of the profits, although it’s unclear if they followed through.
Among the incidents that has been linked to the group is an April 2023 robbery of a Post Office in Anaheim in which trays of mail were stolen. Hernandez, Murillo-Hernandez and some juvenile co-conspirators allegedly fled law enforcement in a vehicle that was provided by Garcia Martinez.
The suspects led police on a high-speed chase on several local freeways before ditching the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
Carroll N. Harris, inspector in charge of the Los Angeles Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, thanked law enforcement partners for helping break up this crime ring and said USPIS is committed to protecting the integrity of the nation’s mail system and defending it from criminal activity.
The case remains under investigation and anyone with information can contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
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