Michael Valentine, a 38-year-old man, has been sentenced to four years in prison for robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Rogers Park. The incident involved Valentine using the postal worker’s master key, also known as an “arrow key,” to steal mail from various locations.
Valentine was initially arrested in the 6700 block of North Lakewood after a burglary in progress was reported. Upon searching him, the police found bulk mail addressed to different individuals in his canvas bag, along with a postal service master key lying nearby. It was later determined that the key had been taken from a mail carrier during a robbery weeks prior.
Although Valentine was initially charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools, further investigation led to the discovery that he was also responsible for robbing a 62-year-old mail carrier in the 10300 block of South Calumet. During this incident, Valentine forcefully demanded the carrier’s work keys, attempted to open her work truck, and banged on its doors before fleeing the scene. The postal worker later identified Valentine in a photo lineup.
Valentine ultimately pleaded guilty to robbery and burglary charges and received a four-year sentence from Judge Aleksandra Gillespie. With good behavior, he may reduce his sentence to two years and is expected to be released on February 27, 2026, after receiving credit for time spent on an ankle monitor pending trial.
In a separate case, Jonathan Minter, a 36-year-old prolific mail thief, faced 20 burglary and identity theft cases across downtown and the North Side. After reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, Minter pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary and two counts of identity theft, resulting in the dismissal of all other charges.
Minter’s crimes included using a postal service master key to steal mail and property from various locations, such as the 5900 block of North Lincoln, 5800 block of North Clark, and 1100 block of West Ardmore. He was also involved in incidents where he stole mail from condos at 320 North Michigan and attempted to steal packages from a residential package room at 1801 South Michigan using a master key.
In addition to his criminal activities, Minter stopped showing up for court appearances and continued to steal mail, using his victims’ credit cards and IDs to stay at luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton Chicago Hotel and a Homewood Suites near the Magnificent Mile.
For his crimes, Minter received a two-year sentence for identity theft and seven years for burglary cases from Judge Ursula Walowski and Judge William Gamboney, respectively. The sentences will be served consecutively, resulting in an effective sentence of nine years, which can be reduced with good behavior.
