$2 Million Worth Of Stolen Goods Recovered From Theft Operation

WILMETTE, IL – Three men are behind bars and accused of illegally operating a sophisticated theft ring involving millions of dollars worth of stolen merchandise from local stores. The arrests come after an 11-month undercover investigation that wrapped up on Dec. 16.

According to the Wilmette Police Department, the investigation began after a number of retail thefts in Wilmette led to the discovery of a fencing ring, which is where individuals knowingly buy stolen goods in order to later resell them for profit, operating in Chicago. In this ring, police said the suspects would sell the stolen merchandise, including over-the-counter medications, online.

On Monday, Wilmette police with the help of the Evanston and Chicago Police Departments, CVS Organized Retail Theft Crime Team and the Illinois Department of Revenue Criminal Investigations Division, executed eleven search warrants in Chicago and one in Oak Park which resulted in the recovery of an estimated $2 million worth of retail products and evidence of a "sophisticated criminal enterprise," police said.

Police said the merchandise stolen from retail establishments throughout the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs was brought to the suspects by other individuals who stole the items. The suspects knowingly purchased the stolen property at their storefront locations in Chicago, police say. Authorities claim the suspects brought the stolen merchandise to various locations throughout Chicago and one location in Oak Park, IL where they removed identifying retailer information from the items. The locations of the suspects' stores are:

The three men then sold the stolen items to various online stores for profit, police said. According to officers, they also established numerous accounts with multiple banks and financial institutions in an attempt to conceal the origin of the funds and used the money to make purchases, including multiple residential properties and continue their financial crimes enterprise.

Police arrested Esam Abdelhavez, 42, of Chicago; Hany Abdelhavez, 31, of Oak Park; Mostfa Abdelhaviz, 33, of Chicago. The men, who are reportedly brothers, are facing a variety of charges including money laundering, felony theft and continuing financial crimes enterprise.

All three men received a $150,000 bond in court Wednesday. Their next court date is Friday, Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m. in Skokie.

Video of some of the stolen merchandise recovered by police: