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According to the AP & Fox News, Wilmette police, with assistance from local, federal and retail-focused law enforcement partners, executed 12 search warrants on Oct. 6 in Chicago, Cicero, Oak Lawn, Bolingbrook, as well as three in California, resulting in the recovery of $7.5 million worth of stolen property after a nearly yearlong investigation.
"I'm primarily proud of the good police work. It's having knowledgeable and skilled detectives that can handle a complex, organized retail crime investigation," WPD Chief Kyle Murphy told Fox News Digital. "It's having an excellent relationship with our private retailers and their organized retail crime groups. Without that partnership, we would not be successful in investigating or prosecuting a case like this."
"Organized retail crime is on the increase. It [has] a negative economic impact on retailers," the police chief explained. "Our biggest concern is that of safety. Most of these over-the-counter medications, allergy and healthcare products are resold on third-party online marketplaces.
The consumer does not know where they are purchasing expired medications."
According to law enforcement, the defendants set up multiple bank accounts in an attempt to hide the origins of the funds they received from selling the stolen goods and used their illegal proceeds to make purchases, including residential properties, to fund their operations.
Original Article: https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-wealthy-chicago-suburb-down-212740806…
