BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Mahwanga Campbell on all counts of a superseding indictment. The charges arise from Campbell’s participation in the violent assault and robbery of a United States Postal Service mail carrier in Queens, New York.

The verdict was delivered after a two-week trial before United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano. Joseph Nocella, Jr. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service New York Division, announced the verdict. "Our Office will vigorously prosecute criminals who assault government employees while they are doing their job and we will not rest until the co-conspirators in this cowardly attack are also brought to justice," Joseph Nocella, Jr. said. Ketty Larco-Ward said: "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate all those who seek to commit violence against USPS Letter Carriers and with the help of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District Court of New York hold all who would commit such acts accountable."

"Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for the violent robbery of a United States Postal Service mail carrier," Nocella said. "Mail carriers perform a vital function and are part of the fabric of our communities." "U.S. Postal Service Letter Carriers perform a core function in serving the community every day and they should be able to do so without fear," Larco-Ward said.

The charges against Campbell include conspiracy to rob a mail carrier, possession of stolen mail, and the fraudulent deposit of stolen and/or altered United States Treasury checks. Campbell faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment upon sentencing.

On September 2, 2023, a USPS mail carrier was delivering mail in the vicinity of Union Hall Street in Jamaica, Queens. Two of Campbell’s co-conspirators punched the mail carrier in the face, threw him to the pavement, and robbed him of his arrow key. An arrow key is a USPS key used by mail carriers to open mailboxes.

Campbell acted as the getaway driver during the robbery. The victim suffered pain to his head and a cracked tooth as a result of the attack. Law enforcement traced the getaway vehicle driven by Campbell using surveillance video and license plate trackers.

Campbell was arrested on February 11, 2025, during a traffic stop by a police officer in Charlotte, South Carolina. Campbell’s cell phones were seized during his arrest and searched pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant.

Campbell’s phones contained images and videos of checks made out to people other than Campbell. The phones contained videos showing how stolen checks were altered by dissolving the handwritten ink in acetone or brake fluid to change the recipient and dollar amount. Campbell’s phones also contained identification documents in the names of other people.

The checks depicted on Campbell’s phones were issued to various payees other than Campbell by various individuals and companies across multiple states, including New York, Delaware, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. The checks had issue dates ranging from at least June 2023 to February 2025. Several of the checks depicted on the phones were issued by payors located within the geographic area where mailboxes can be accessed with the stolen arrow key. Several of the checks were dated within three weeks of the date of the robbery in Queens.

Campbell’s co-conspirators involved in the robbery remain at large. Campbell is also known as "Mahwanga Elijah Solo Campbell" and "Elijah Campbell." Campbell is 34 years old and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.