Pezhman Gilani Yahyavi (left) and Mahmood Bashang | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
ELMHURST, Ill. - Two suburban Chicago men are facing charges after authorities said they staged an armed robbery involving more than $1 million in jewelry in DuPage County.
What we know:
Pezhman Gilani Yahyavi, 46, and Mahmood Bashang, 30, were each charged with one count of disorderly conduct, falsely reporting a crime, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors allege that about 6:27 p.m. on Sunday, Gilani Yahyavi intentionally drove his vehicle off the roadway so Bashang could call 911 and report a staged armed robbery. Bashang allegedly told the dispatcher the two were jewelry vendors returning from a show in Rosemont when three armed offenders robbed them of between $1.5 million and $2 million worth of mostly 14-karat gold jewelry.
Investigators later determined the robbery never occurred.
Gilani Yahyavi, of Glendale Heights, and Bashang, of Naperville, were released after their initial court appearance.
What they're saying:
"Filing a false police report, as alleged in this case, not only wastes critical law enforcement resources, but can result in innocent individuals being wrongfully arrested and charged," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "Since the initial 911 call, the Elmhurst Police Department dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to investigate what at the time was believed to be a multi-million-dollar jewelry robbery."
What's next:
Both men are due back in court on March 23.
The Source: The information in this report came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.