$2.4 million in stolen goods recovered from Flee Club; Chicago store accused of reselling them
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The owner and an employee of a Near West Side store have been arrested on felony charges, after Cook County Sheriff's police recovered $2.4 million in stolen merchandise they allegedly were selling to customers.
Sheriff's police said officers executed a search warrant at the Flee Club store in the 2200 block of West Taylor Street on July 2, after investigators discovered employees were knowingly buying stolen goods and reselling them at the store.
Investigators said store employees also instructed the thieves involved to steal specific clothing, shoes, and fragrances that they would then resell.
Sheriff's police recovered thousands of items of stolen merchandise with a retail value of about $2.4 million from the store. The merchandise all had been stolen from other businesses. Officers also discovered five guns and multiple magazines, including an extended clip and a large drum magazine, along with 200 rounds of ammunition.
The stolen goods included Nike Air Jordan shoes, high-end cologne, Prada and Louis Vuitton handbags, Lululemon clothes, and more.
Sheriff Tom Dart said their investigation doesn't end here. They're still tracking down where some of the stolen goods originally came from.
"These business owners have had enough, and they're at the end of their rope. So we're not going away. We're going to continue to do this, and we'll continue to make the arrests, continue to get charges," Dart said.
Flee Club's owner, 44-year-old Darris Kelly, of Maywood, has been charged with one felony count of theft. An employee, 50-year-old Jerry Walker, of Broadview, has been charged one felony count each of theft and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Both men made their first court appearance on July 4, and were released from custody while they await trial. They're due back in court on July 26.