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INDIANAPOLIS–A man from Indianapolis has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison over the murder of a U.S. postal worker.
Tony Cushingberry, 24, of Indianapolis pled guilty to murder and discharging a firearm during a “crime of violence,” said the Department of Justice Thursday morning.
Court documents say Cushingberry was sitting on his porch when he watched Angela Summers walk past his house and go to another house, so he “aggressively approached Summers on the neighbor’s porch and demanded his mail several times.” Summers was working for the U.S. Postal Service and was delivering mail on her route at the time on April 27, 2020. They believe Cushingberry kept pursuing Summers while holding a gun, eventually pulling it to the right side of his waistband and shooting Summers in the chest.
Cushingberry ran away and stashed the gun in the detached garage of a home that was nearby. Police say later that day, United States Postal Inspectors and IMPD Officers searched Cushingberry’ s home and found a safe that contained multiple boxes of ammunition, including the same caliber and brand of fired cartridge casing matching the Glock he used.
Summers was rushed to a hospital and was pronounced dead at 5:31 pm that day.
Cushingberry will also be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years after he gets out of federal prison.
“Angela Summers was a beloved family member and public servant, and she should be alive today. She was taken from those who cared for her by the defendant’s evil decision to gun her down while she was simply doing her job,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our communities should not have to live in fear of every conflict leading to gun violence. No term of imprisonment will bring Angela back, but the sentence imposed today demonstrates that those who kill will face judgment and accountability. I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, IMPD, and our federal prosecutors for their efforts to seek justice in this case.”
