Illinois man busted with over $250K of merchandise stolen from freight trains: police

Illinois man busted with over $250K of merchandise stolen from freight trains: police

A Palos Heights man is facing felony theft charges after police recovered an estimated $250,000 worth of stolen merchandise linked to freight thefts across the Chicago area.

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. - A Palos Heights man is facing felony theft charges after police recovered an estimated $250,000 worth of stolen merchandise linked to freight thefts across the Chicago area.

What we know:

Almahdi Qasem, 20, turned himself in on Friday and was charged with one count of theft over $1000,000 but less than $500,000. Additional charges are expected, according to Palos Heights police.

The investigation began when Sitka, a high-end hunting apparel company, reported the theft of roughly 100 pairs of boots worth $40,000 from Chicago.

Detectives later found online listings for identical boots on Facebook Marketplace and eBay, and they were able to trace Qasem's address to a home in Palos Heights

Investigators made several undercover purchases from Qasem, including Sitka boots, children’s Nike shoes, and Puma gym shoes, all of which were determined to have been stolen from freight trains.

On July 16, search warrants executed at his home and a Bridgeview storage unit uncovered the missing boots along with merchandise from Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bissell, Skytech Gaming and other retailers, police said. Investigators also seized vehicles, bank accounts, and cash connected to the operation.

What's next:

The case remains under investigation with the assistance of the Cook County Sheriff’s Community Response Team. Qasem was cited and released pending a court appearance at the Bridgeview Courthouse.