2 charged in high-end theft ring worth millions, spanning across multiple states

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The police chief and the mayor in suburban Lyons have shared more information about a sophisticated, high-end theft ring that spanned multiple states and amounted to millions of dollars.

The investigation is centered around a warehouse in the Austin neighborhood filled with stolen merchandise.

As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported, millions of dollars in high-end items were found inside - including shoes like Nikes and Yeezys, toys, iPads, jewelry, and jeans with a price tag of $375.

"They are referring to this as the mother lode so I don't hear that term very often," said Chief Tom Herion.

There are at least five suspects, two of whom have already been arrested and charged.

Lyons detectives found surveillance video that shows Erick Lujano Bautista and his employee, Edwin Aguirre Ramirez, breaking into and then stealing a semi-trailer and taking it to that warehouse in Austin to resell to retailers. Both suspects are 24 years old and are charged with burglary. Lujano-Bautista is also charged with possession of stolen property.

The warehouse was used as a home base to push stolen goods across the country.

The investigation was fired up after a semi-trailer parked in a lot in Lyons was broken into last month. Inside were thousands of dollars worth of collectable figurines that were swiped. Hours later that trailer was also stolen. 

The thieves took the trailer to a warehouse in Chicago, unloaded the cargo, and then abandoned it at a parking lot nearby.  

In this case, police say the thieves would advertise on social media or by word of mouth where retailers would go to the warehouse to buy the items -- not knowing they were stolen.

"The investigation started with a mere theft, but led to a national criminal enterprise where millions of dollars of stolen goods were located," said Mayor Chris Getty.

"It was a massive plus private enterprise, private corporations, law enforcement at the state and local level, and the railroad level," said Herion. "To uncover a ring of this magnitude, and it was a plus for everyone. This goes on across the United States, and we are lucky enough to get this location."

Officials say the interstate trafficking of merchandise was fueled by rail cargo thefts -- a trend that has become a national epidemic where the stolen goods are unpackaged, then re-packaged and resold to small retailers.  

"Whether they knew it was stolen or not, I don't know. Whether they thought it was a wholesale house I don't know. But there's no doubt they were able to save a lot of money and a lot of products," said Herion. 

Detectives say this was the biggest-ever recovery for this department. More charges could be coming, and they are looking for more suspects.

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