The community room inside the 15th District Police station on Tuesday looked like a swap meet or an in-door garage sale.
Residents came to the station, 5701 W. Madison, to see if any of the flat-screen TVs, dozens of bicycles and plethora of power tools, among other items, belonged to them. In all, the items are estimated to be worth $100,000. On Sunday, 15th District police executed a search warrant on a residence in the 4300 block of West Congress Parkway. They discovered stolen items throughout the residency, so much that officers had to enter the location from a back entrance because the front door was blocked with loot. Police also recovered several boxes of ammunition. Two suspects residing at the residence have been arrested.
Jeremiah Dobynes, 38, was charged with three counts of felony theft and unlawful use of a weapon. Curtis Ball, 54, was charged with three counts of felony theft. A third suspect, William Harrington, 56, was charged with one count of misdemeanor theft and lost property. While residents were searching for their stolen items at the station on Tuesday, Dobynes and Ball were scheduled to appear that day in bond court at 26th and California. Harrington is scheduled to appear in misdemeanor court on March 18.
Officers also found a truck and trailer filled with stolen goods at the Congress Parkway location. Police said the items were stolen from vehicles, residential garages, and construction sites, adding that the offenders would also take items out of vehicles that were parked on city streets. According to police, the fencing ring stretched beyond the West Side with items likely stolen from surrounding suburbs as well.
Police added that they were aware of a massive fencing operation on the West Side, but not who was operating it. The ring was uncovered through a tip provided to police the day before the bust. Among the items seized were VCRs, power tools, a six-foot power generator and also a floor buffer. Tires and rims were also recovered. Residents looking for their stolen merchandise will be asked to prove ownership.
For more information on claiming an item contact the 15th District Police Department at 312-743-1440.
Items that aren’t recovered will be sold at a future police auction, officers said.
CONTACT: tdean@wjinc.com
