ROCKFORD — 7/13/26 – A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for robbing a United States Post Office in Rockford last year.
On May 27, 2025, ANTHONY JOHNSON walked approximately one block from his residence in Rockford to the Post Office, where he reached for a firearm in his waistband and told the clerk to give him all the money in the cash register. After stealing approximately $219, Johnson ran back to his residence, crossing private backyards on his way.
Johnson, 59, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of robbing money from the United States. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Johnson to six years and eight months in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution to the U.S. Postal Service.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
“Robbing a Post Office with a gun is a violent offense that places innocent human lives in immediate, terrifying danger,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The U.S. Postal Service serves a critically important government function, and its employees must be allowed to perform their duties for the American people safely and securely. Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize cases that involve threats, violence, and intimidation against federal officials. The federal law enforcement apparatus in Chicago will pursue, apprehend, and convict those who choose to compromise the safety of our public servants.”
“The safety of our postal employees and postal infrastructure is paramount,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Bucciarelli. “Letter carriers, clerks, and other postal employees serve our communities, and violence against them affects us all. This conviction serves as a warning that targeting the U.S. Postal Service will result in federal law enforcement relentlessly pursuing those responsible until they are brought to justice. We thank the Rockford Police Department and the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication and partnership in securing this conviction.”
