A woman who allegedly used stolen master keys to raid mailboxes across Chicago and a man accused of breaking through an apartment complex wall to steal packages are celebrating “fresh starts” as graduates of Cook County’s Drug Treatment Court, according to Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
Kalea Blanke, 35, once described by prosecutors as a serial mail thief, admitted last year to six burglaries in neighborhoods ranging from Uptown to Wicker Park. Chicago police arrested her in a South Side garage and found a U.S. Postal Service master key, known as an arrow key, lying in plain sight. Officers also discovered a set of wrenches she allegedly filed into crude replicas of arrow keys.
Blanke’s thefts stretched across North Center, Lincoln Park, the Loop, and other neighborhoods, where prosecutors said she used her keys to plunder locked mailboxes.
But in court this month, the story was different. After years of addiction, Blanke said she has been sober for two years and now works as a counselor in the same recovery program where she once sought treatment.
“I was given a second chance to get out of the legal trouble I was in,” Blanke said. “I enjoy being at the place where I am today and helping other people realize their strengths.”
Blanke is one of six Drug Treatment Court graduates honored recently at the Skokie Courthouse. Evans praised the program for turning people away from crime and toward stability.
“One of our goals as a court is to move people away from criminal activity and enable them to become productive and useful citizens in society,” Evans said. “The problem-solving courts provide people with a fresh start to live a productive, happy life.”
Arvin Basilio, 36, another graduate, once punched and kicked through a wall to reach a package room in a Rogers Park apartment complex after failing to pry open the door, prosecutors said. Surveillance cameras captured his distinctive hand tattoos and showed him pulling down his mask, details that helped police identify him.
Like Blanke, Basilio said his crimes were fueled by addiction that began in his teens. He credits Drug Treatment Court with changing his life.
“If I hadn’t gone to drug court, I’d be doing the same thing,” he said. “They gave me the motivation to get myself together.”
Basilio said the program taught him to stick with treatment, stay sober, and build stability.
“First, they want you to attend all your meetings, get to your court dates, drop clean [for drugs], then they want you to find a job, keep the job, find a stable home, stay sober. I have a lot to lose. I’m not trying to mess anything up.”
Cook County operates 20 problem-solving courts, including divisions for veterans, mental health, and drug treatment. Judges say the programs improve public safety, reduce re-arrests, and save money while giving defendants a chance to rebuild their lives.
