Police: Chicago Man sold stolen items for 10 years on West Side
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A man has been charged with running a large-scale trafficking operation — selling stolen items including bicycles, snow blowers and more — out of his Austin neighborhood home for the last 10 years on the West Side.
Jerome Brown, 53, faces one felony count of theft of items between $500 and $10,000, according to a statement from Chicago Police.
The department’s Asset Forfeiture Unit executed a search warrant on June 30 at Brown’s home in the 5600 block of West Augusta Boulevard, police said. He had become the target of an investigation after the unit was informed that he was selling stolen items out his home. Undercover officers corroborated that information.
During he search, Brown admitted to selling stolen items for the past ten years and it was learned he had “established a large-scale trafficking operation from the home,” police said.
Police recovered bicycles, snow blowers, landscaping equipment, chainsaws, ladders, construction grade equipment, power tools, tool boxes and more. The items may have originated in the Cook County area.
Victims who have had property stolen were invited to view the recovered items at the Austin District station, 5701 W. Madison Ave., and were asked to bring identification, proof of purchase, copy of police report, as well as any evidence related to their loss.