CHICAGO — A man once known for testifying in a high-profile River North murder trial is back in the headlines — this time accused of committing a spree of mailroom burglaries across downtown Chicago while already out on bond for a similar case.
Jeremy Zaloun, 50, is now facing 12 felony charges, including 11 counts of burglary and one count of felony theft. Police say he targeted residential mailrooms in neighborhoods including Lakeview, River North, the West Loop, and downtown — often hitting multiple buildings in a single night.
Familiar Face in Chicago Crime Circles
Zaloun first appeared in news reports in 2018 after being caught breaking into a Lakeview East apartment building mailroom. He pleaded guilty to three burglary charges and was sentenced to probation.
He reappeared in 2021 during the trial of a Northwestern University professor accused of fatally stabbing his boyfriend during a bondage scene in River North. Though not involved in the murder, Zaloun testified that he narrowly escaped a similar encounter with the professor, telling the jury, “I watched him basically turn from Fred Flintstone to Freddy Krueger in about 30 seconds.”
The professor’s conviction was later overturned, and a new trial is pending.
Caught in the Act With USPS Master Key
Zaloun’s latest arrest happened around 3:45 a.m. on June 12, after a man caught him rifling through pried-open mailboxes in the 100 block of West Adams. The witness confronted Zaloun, who allegedly struck him in the arm and fled into a nearby elevator, dropping a key ring with multiple keys.
Police found Zaloun hiding in a vacant second-floor apartment under renovation. Inside, they discovered:
- A cart filled with opened mail
- A bundle of mail addressed to different residents
- What officers described as a U.S. Postal Service master key
Zaloun allegedly told police he was there to “see a friend.”
Mailrooms Hit Across the City
Authorities have now tied Zaloun to a series of mailroom burglaries at the following locations:
- 1400 block of North Wells – September 30, 2024
- 200 block of North Columbus – June 12, 2025
- 200 block of North Desplaines – June 12, 2025
- 100 block of West Adams – April 24 and June 12, 2025
- 700 block of West Jackson – June 12, 2025
- 300 block of North Michigan – April 12, 18, and 19, 2025
- 2300 block of North Damen – May 11, 2025
In addition, Zaloun is accused of stealing $28,145 worth of film equipment from a property on the first block of West Hubbard on May 27, 2025.
Violating Pretrial Release and Back in Jail
At the time of his latest arrest, Zaloun was already on pretrial release for a separate mailroom burglary case from November 2023. He is now being held in Cook County Jail for violating the terms of that release.
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