AVENTURA, Fla. – A 33-year-old Broward County man was arrested early Sunday in connection with a series of mail thefts targeting tile businesses in Sweetwater, according to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News on Monday.
Recommended Videos
The suspect, identified as Courtney Martavius Ivory, of Lauderdale Lakes, was taken into custody shortly after midnight after detectives with the Sweetwater Police Department’s Priority Service Unit said they caught him tampering with “a cluster of mailboxes” outside the Roca Tile Company, located at 11190 NW 25th St.
According to investigators, the company had reported multiple incidents of mail theft — on Feb. 24, March 8, March 13 and March 15 — after surveillance cameras captured a black SUV, believed to be a Chevrolet Tahoe, pulling up to the mailbox cluster on the west side of the building between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.
Authorities said surveillance video showed Ivory exiting the driver’s side of the SUV, using a key to unlock the main mailbox door, and removing mail belonging to the company and others.
Police say he unlawfully obtained personal information, bank documents and checks, which he placed in the passenger seat of the vehicle before driving off.
On Sunday, at about 12:15 a.m., detectives said they set up surveillance around the business. Officers spotted a black Tahoe matching the description of the suspect vehicle entering the parking lot.
One of the officers said Ivory noticed them and ran, leaving the SUV’s driver’s side door open. They said he was apprehended shortly after on Northwest 112th Avenue.
Inside the vehicle, police said they found stolen mail belonging to Roca Tile and Laufen Tile International, along with documents containing bank information and personal identification numbers.
Detectives said while conducting a search on Ivory, they found three “arrow keys” — specialized keys used by U.S. Postal Service employees to access centralized mailboxes.
Authorities say Ivory attempted to discard the keys while fleeing. They also confirmed that those type of keys are considered stolen if not in the possession of authorized personnel.
They said Ivory was identified by his Florida driver’s license and linked to a black 2024 Tahoe with a Florida tag that matched license plate reader data from the earlier incidents.
He was taken to SPD’s General Investigations Unit office in Sweetwater being transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Ivory’s arrest report states that his vehicle was impounded and will be held for review by U.S. Postal Inspectors.
Jail records show he is facing eight counts of fraudulent use or possession of personal identification, one count of dealing in stolen property and five counts petty theft.
As of Monday, he remains at TGK, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”
