COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus men were sentenced in U.S. District Court for their roles in aiding the armed robberies of postal carriers.
Cody N. Beasley, 23, also known as “Drose,” was sentenced in federal court today to 76 months in prison. Kenan M. Lay, 21, also known as “Swerv,” was sentenced on April 19 to 66 months in prison.
“These sentences illustrate that we will continue to take seriously offenses committed against postal carriers. Even if you are not the person holding the gun or directly committing the robbery, we will hold you accountable for your role in the crime and work to ensure that you face time in federal prison like Beasley and Lay. Trust me, serving any amount of time in prison is just not worth it.” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
According to Lay’s court documents, on May 11, 2023, Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of an elderly female postal worker at a post office on West Broad Street. Coconspirators paid Lay $100 for the use of his gun and kept Lay updated on the progress of the crime. Lay’s gun was used to pistol-whip the female postal worker in the head.
According to Beasley’s court documents, on April 4 at 3:20pm, two coconspirators robbed at gunpoint a USPS letter carrier who was sitting in his work vehicle on Sawmill Road in Dublin. Beasley directed the April 4 armed robbery and paid the coconspirators $500 for committing the robbery as planned.
Beasley also admitted to stealing a postal key in March 2023 in the Cleveland area. He and a coconspirator were stopped for a traffic violation in Parma Heights and fled from law enforcement. Officers eventually detained the men and searched the vehicle they had been using, discovering a black trash bag with numerous pieces of mail that had not yet been postmarked. A cell phone search also revealed pictures of stolen checks and research about 38 Post Offices and blue USPS collection boxes in Cleveland. While Beasley and the coconspirator were detained in jail together for the crimes in the Northern District of Ohio, Beasley began planning for the new postal robbery in Dublin.
Beasley and Lay are two of seven total defendants charged in their cases. More than a dozen other defendants have been charged in the Southern District of Ohio in the past two years with crimes related to postal robberies.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley C. Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentences imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley and U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in Beasley’s case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Litton is also prosecuting Lay’s case.