Mail Theft Continues to Plague Chicago
Mail theft remains a significant issue in Chicago, with criminals targeting postal workers and stealing from residential mailboxes to facilitate large-scale identity theft operations.
Recent Incidents
In a recent incident, two individuals robbed a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Old Town. The postal worker reported that the perpetrators confronted her in the 1300 block of North Sedgwick, stole mail from her work truck, and took her keys. The thieves then fled in a vehicle, although further details about their identities were not immediately available.
Mail theft rings often utilize stolen postal service master keys, known as “arrow keys,” to gain access to apartment buildings and open residential mailboxes.
Arrest of Dalvin Lockhart
In a more positive development, a man named Dalvin Lockhart, 30, is facing charges related to mail theft and burglary after being apprehended near the Magnificent Mile. Lockhart had an existing mail theft and burglary case pending, with a warrant issued for his arrest due to his failure to appear in court.
Last October, Lockhart was detained by a doorman for burglarizing a residential building’s mailroom. Upon his arrest, authorities discovered multiple fake IDs, various pieces of mail addressed to different individuals, a collection of credit cards under different names, and three counterfeit arrow keys. The stolen mail and credit cards belonged to residents in Lincoln Park, the Loop, and the building where Lockhart was apprehended.
Lockhart was charged with residential burglary, burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of fraudulent IDs, and multiple counts of possessing lost or mislaid property. Despite these charges, he was released to await trial.
Continued Criminal Activity
Lockhart’s criminal activities did not cease, as he was arrested in February for attempting to purchase a vehicle with a fake driver’s license in DuPage County. He was once again released to await trial in that case.
However, Lockhart failed to appear in court for his Chicago burglary case in April, leading to an arrest warrant being issued. He was eventually apprehended by Chicago police and a postal inspector after attempting to evade arrest in the 800 block of North Dewitt.
During this arrest, Lockhart was found in possession of 52 credit cards, two counterfeit arrow keys, mail, financial statements, bank checks, and counterfeit currency. He now faces charges for possessing burglary tools, illegal possession of bank cards, forgery, and more.
Judge Luciano Panici, Jr. has detained Lockhart due to the outstanding warrants against him.
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