Chicago man accused of armed robbery of Hinsdale postal carrier: prosecutors

A motion was denied Friday to detain pre-trial a Chicago man accused of robbing at gunpoint a postal carrier, prosecutors said.

Antwan Kelsor, 22, of the 6100 block of South California Avenue, appeared in First Appearance Court on multiple charges including two counts of armed robbery, according to DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Kelsor and his co-defendant, Maurice Deloach, 23, of the 100 block of North Lockwood Avenue, Chicago, have both been charged with four counts of identity theft, one count of financial institution fraud-$100,000-$500,000, three counts of conspiracy to defraud a financial institution- $100,000-$500,000 and one count of financial institution fraud-$10,000-$100,000 for allegedly operating a financial crimes scheme involving the United States Postal Service, authorities said.

In his ruling to deny the state’s petition to detain Kelsor, Judge Joshua Dieden noted the significant passage of time since the alleged offense and Kelsor’s lack of any criminal history.

Deloach, appeared in First Appearance Court on May 12 and was released on his own recognizance. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 9.

About 1:21 p.m. May 9, 2022, Hinsdale police responded to an armed robbery at Hinsdale Avenue and Stough Street. A postal worker who was emptying mail from the USPS collection box when an unknown male approached him, held a handgun to his side, and asked him for his key, which is designed to unlock collection boxes in multiple zip codes, according to the release.

The mail carrier gave the unknown male his key, which opened collection boxes in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Burr Ridge and part of Willowbrook. The man ran back to a black Nissan, allegedly driven by Kelsor, and fled.

In the following weeks, mail thefts occurred in Hinsdale and Oak Brook collection boxes using the key allegedly stolen from the mail carrier. Authorities identified Kelsor and Deloach as suspects.

On June 12, 2022, Kelsor allegedly drove the Nissan to multiple collection boxes in Hinsdale and Oak Brook and he and Deloach stole mail from them, according to the release.

That night, Kelsor’s Nissan was spotted at a gas station in Oakbrook Terrace with Kelsor outside the car and Deloach seated in the front passenger seat. Both men were arrested.

Authorities found the collection box key stolen from the mail carrier in the car as well as unopened mail that had been stolen from collection boxes that contained checks.

The checks recovered allegedly were stolen from USPS collection boxes and from businesses and residents with addresses in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, Willowbrook, Westchester, Western Springs, Barrington, Addison, Ptalos Hills, Oak lawn, Chicago and Forest View.

Kelsor and Deloach allegedly deposited stolen checks into accounts and then withdrew or attempted to withdraw money from those accounts. The duo also attempted to sell the stolen checks to others. The monetary value of the checks recovered during the investigation totaled about $508,714, authorities said.

“The arrest and charging of the defendants in this case is vital to maintaining the public’s trust that when you send a letter or pay a bill through the USPS, it will safely arrive at its intended destination,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release.

“Postal employees deserve to be safe while working their routes,” Hinsdale Chief of Police Brian King said in the release. “This crime occurred midday when a local Hinsdale-based carrier working his route was accosted and robbed at gunpoint. The Hinsdale Police Department takes violent crimes that occur in the community very seriously. We are willing to expend whatever resources it takes to bring crimes of this nature to justice.”

“This operation is a successful example of the role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners play in seeking and attaining justice on behalf of Postal Service employees and customers,” Ruth Mendonça, inspector in charge of the Chicago division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in the release.

Kelsor’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 5.