A Chicago man charged in July with having a counterfeit U.S. Postal Service master key, stolen mail, credit cards, and drugs in Logan Square skipped court, went missing for two months, and got arrested again this week in Logan Square with pretty much all of the same stuff, prosecutors say. But there is one difference between July and now: this time, Andrew Trotter had the word “Trust” etched across his forehead.
Trotter, 45, was arrested late Monday night in the 2400 block of North Lawndale during a joint operation between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Chicago police. Officials said he was carrying two counterfeit postal keys, suspected methamphetamine, several stolen debit and credit cards, and a stolen passport.
Those master keys, also called “arrow keys,” can unlock banks of residential mailboxes and postal service collection boxes across the city.
Monday’s arrest was probably a bit of déjà vu for all of the involved parties.
Back on July 3, prosecutors alleged police caught Trotter in Logan Square as he carried, well, a counterfeit USPS master key, mail stolen from multiple people, more than 30 credit and debit cards, fraudulent IDs, burglary tools, and $2,600 worth of suspected meth.
Investigators at the time also reported recovering a handbag with screwdrivers and Allen wrenches, which they described as common burglary tools, along with U-Haul keys, IDs, and even a CTA employee badge that did not belong to him. Despite that haul, Trotter went home to await trial because the charges were not considered detainable offenses under the SAFE-T Act.
Now, he’s back.
On Tuesday, Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Trotter detained for violating the conditions of pretrial release in the July case.
Prosecutors have also slapped him with new charges stemming from items allegedly found when cops arrested him Monday: possession of methamphetamine, burglary, felony possession of burglary tools, misdemeanor attempted possession of burglary tools, misdemeanor theft, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Officials said additional charges may be filed as their investigation continues.
In a press release, postal inspectors said Trotter is suspected of being behind multiple mail thefts on the city’s Northwest Side earlier this year.
Mail theft has become increasingly prevalent in recent years due to a combination of systemic vulnerabilities, low enforcement risk, and high financial reward. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s on the rise:
One of the biggest drivers is the black-market circulation of counterfeit or stolen USPS master keys, commonly known as arrow keys. These keys can unlock entire banks of mailboxes in apartment buildings, commercial complexes, and even street-side collection boxes. Once a thief has one, they can hit dozens of addresses at once, often without forcing entry.
Mail is an easy source of sensitive personal and financial information. Thieves look for bank documents, credit cards, government IDs, tax and insurance records, and checks that they can alter for larger sums.
Some mail thieves operate as frontline personnel in much larger, sophisticated operations that launder money, steal identities, and sell personal information on the dark web.
While mail theft is technically a federal crime, prosecutions are almost always handled at the state level.
