Two men now charged as part of crew that may be behind more than 200 smash-and-grab burglaries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police say one crew is behind more than 200 smash-and-grab burglaries.
With two of the men involved now charged, CBS 2's Tara Molina took a closer look Tuesday at the robberies – and the work on a state and city level to get others across the street.
On Monday, police announced Dion Butts, 24, of Hillside, had been charged with 10 felony counts of burglary in a string of heists along Michigan Avenue and other parts of the city.
The burglaries happened at the following locations, according to CPD:
- 6100 block of West Diversey Avenue – Nov. 26, 2021
- 1500 block of North Cicero Avenue – Nov. 26, 2021
- 2000 block of West Division Street – Nov. 26, 2021
- 600 block of North Michigan Avenue – Jan. 4 and 6, 2022
- 2900 block of North Broadway – Jan. 6, 2022
- 400 block of West Belmont Avenue – Jan. 6, 2022
- 1100 block of West 18th Street – Jan. 14, 2022
- 3600 block of West 26th Street – Jan. 17, 2022
- 5800 block of West North Avenue– Feb. 3, 2022
Bond for Butts was set at $150,000 cash on Monday – meaning he would have to pay the full amount for release rather than a percentage. He is due back in court on Monday, March 28.
The charges against Butts come more than a month after police and prosecutors announced charges against the accused ringleader of the group responsible for those the burglaries, 24-year-old Tacarre Harper, of Maywood.
As CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported last month, Harper was charged with nine felony counts of burglary in connection with a series of nine "smash and grab" burglaries. Harper was taken down at a house in the South Austin neighborhood by the elite Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Chicago Police say these arrests should send a message to others.
The total value of the merchandise stolen by Butts amounted to $180,000. Police have been targeting the prolific smash-and-grab crew, to which they say Butts belonged, in their work with the Organized Retail Theft Task Force.
The real total number of crimes for which the crew is responsible could be closer to 200 over the past year and a half.
Harper was charged with nine felonies in smash-and-grabs last month. We found seven of them – on Diversey Avenue in Belmont Central, Cicero Avenue in North Austin, Division Street in Wicker Park, the Magnificent Mile, and Belmont Avenue in East Lakeview - match up with those in which Butts is charged.
Harper is also charged in smash-and-grabs in the 3900 block of West Diversey Avenue on Dec. 8, and the 4900 block of West Fullerton Avenue on Dec. 28.
The Magnificent Mile burglaries in which the two men are charged targeted the Burberry store at 633 N. Michigan Ave., at Ontario Street.
Those burglaries in the first week of the New Year involved six-figure thefts of coats and purses.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said police are not stopping at these two arrests.
"The arrest is a clear signal to other offenders that the Chicago police department will be relentless in finding and arresting you," Brown said.
Supt. Brown calls these latest arrests another example of CPD's work in the Organized Retail Theft Task Force.
"Since the inception of Organized Retail Theft Task Force, this collaboration has been very instrumental in solving crimes and locking up offenders," said Supt. Brown.
We asked the Illinois Attorney General's office for an update on that new task force led by AG Kwame Raoul, which was formed back in September, with Chicago Police mentioning another recent breakup of a large theft operation through work with them.
A spokesperson told us it's too early to share details on the subject, but their work with partners here in Chicago and across the state continues.
The AG's office did tout this week how it recovered more than $1 million worth of stolen goods from numerous Chicago area storage units in December.
The task force's latest efforts were focused downstate in the Metro East area near St. Louis. Attorney General Raoul on Monday went to Collinsville, where the AG's office has partnered with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) in an effort to curb retail theft in that area.
The task force's latest efforts were focused downstate in the Metro East area near St. Louis. Attorney General Raoul on Monday went to Collinsville, where the AG's office has partnered with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) in an effort to curb retail theft in that area.
