Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Mail Theft with Stolen Credit Cards and Counterfeit Postal Keys
A man has been sentenced to four years in prison after he was caught stealing mail near the Magnificent Mile while in possession of 52 stolen credit cards and counterfeit postal service master keys, court records reveal.
Dalvin Lockhart, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of identity theft in exchange for the sentence handed down by Judge Ursula Walowski.
The incident involving Lockhart dates back to October 2024 when a doorman at a residential building on East Elm Street caught him burglarizing the mailroom. Upon apprehension, Lockhart was found with two fake IDs, mail addressed to various individuals, a collection of credit cards with different names, and three counterfeit postal service master keys known as “arrow keys.” These keys grant access to apartment building mailboxes, postal relay boxes, and mail banks across the city.
The stolen mail and credit cards in Lockhart’s possession belonged to residents of Lincoln Park, the Loop, and the building where he was arrested, according to a CPD report. Despite being released on pretrial bond pending trial, Lockhart failed to appear in court.
In May, a U.S. Postal Inspector attempted to arrest Lockhart in Streeterville for failure to appear in court in both Cook and DuPage counties. Lockhart managed to escape from the inspector’s custody and fled, leading Chicago police officers to respond and assist in his apprehension.
Lockhart, still wearing a pair of dangling handcuffs from one wrist, was easily identified near the Mag Mile. Despite providing a fake ID to the officers, Lockhart was found in possession of 52 credit cards, two additional counterfeit arrow keys, stolen mail, financial documents, bank checks, and counterfeit currency.
Lockhart’s four-year sentence will be reduced to two years with good behavior as mandated by law. Furthermore, the sentence will be further reduced by 550 days for time already served and credits earned through participation in jail programming, as indicated in court records.
