2 charged in armed robbery of postal worker, theft of checks worth more than $500,000
Two Chicago men have been charged with financial crimes involving stolen checks, worth more than $500,000, taken from mail collection boxes in Hinsdale and Oak Brook.
Antwan Kelsor, 22, of the 6100 block of South California Avenue, is charged with armed robbery, identity theft, financial institution fraud — $100,000 to $500,000, conspiracy to defraud a financial institution — $100,000 to $500,000, and financial institution fraud — $10,000 to $100,000.
Maurice Deloach, 23, of the 100 block of North Lockwood Avenue, is charged with identity theft, financial institution fraud — $100,000 to $500,000, conspiracy to defraud a financial institution — $100,000 to $500,000, and financial institution fraud — $10,000 to $100,000.
Hinsdale police responded at 1:21 p.m. May 9, 2022, to a report of an armed robbery at Hinsdale Avenue and Stough Street. The case also was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service.
Authorities said a carrier was removing mail from a collection box when a man approached him, held a handgun to his side and asked for the collection-box key, which opened boxes in several towns. The man ran to a Nissan, which authorities believe was Kelsor, then drove off.
In the next several weeks, mail was stolen from collection boxes in Hinsdale and Oak Brook that used the stolen key. Authorities say on June 12, 2022, the duo stole from boxes again in Hinsdale and Oak Brook, and that at 10 p.m. that day, they tracked the Nissan to a gasoline station in Oakbrook Terrace. They arrested Kelsor and Deloach, but the men were released without charges.
Authorities say they found unopened mail containing checks, as well as other stolen checks, in the vehicle. The victims were about 80 businesses and residents in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, Willowbrook, Westchester, Western Springs, Barrington, Addison, Palos Hills, Oak Lawn, Chicago and Forest View.
Authorities say Kelsor and Deloach altered the payees on stolen checks, deposited them and then tried to withdraw money. The charges state they also sent photos of the stolen checks to other people, in an attempt to sell the checks. The charges also say they communicated via text about the thefts before and after, and that they shared links to news media articles about the armed robbery.
The monetary value of the checks recovered totaled roughly $508,714.88. The checks ranged in value from $14.40 to $73,805, according to an exhibit attached to an indictment for Kelsor.
Both men are free on pretrial release. Kelsor appeared before Judge Joshua Dieden Friday. Dieden ruled Kelsor did not present a danger to the community and noted the three-year gap between his arrest and the filing of criminal charges. Deloach appeared before Dieden May 12 and was released because he has not been charged with a detainable offense.
According to a spokesman for the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office, the three-year wait was due to an “exhaustive, labor-intensive investigation” involving the two police agencies and the prosecutors.