Technology and data are assisting a law enforcement team in combating retail theft in Cook County, as stated by Sheriff Tom Dart. This endeavor has resulted in the recovery of over $5 million in stolen merchandise over the past two years.
Since February, the I-Team has been frequently embedded with the Cook County Sheriff’s Organized Retail Crime Team as they aimed to disrupt elaborate theft operations. Besides using traditional tools and conventional police tactics, they adhere to an unofficial motto: Maintain a personable and proactive relationship with retailers.
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The I-Team received a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse at the Cook County Organized Retail Crime Team as they convened before carrying out arrest warrants in Operation Smokeout.
Sheriff’s patrol cars caravanned to Calumet Park, swarmed the lot, entered the store, and arrested two men.
“To learn the market is just a lucrative as narcotic sales,” Commander Mike Ware with the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department told the I-Team.
They recovered more than $700,000 in suspected stolen merchandise from Smokey’s Connect. Guns, along with ammunition that can penetrate police protective vests, were discovered by Bolt, a Cook County Sheriff K9, during the search.
Jose Reyes-Deluna and Essa Elshahawy are charged with theft and being part of a financial crimes enterprise. They pleaded not guilty and are back in court Tuesday.
A tip stolen merchandise was being sold at the store originally led investigators to Smokey’s Connect. On multiple occasions, undercover deputies say they sold merchandise that still had security tags attached to a store employee for cash.
They say employees didn’t ask where the items came from.
“We’ve been really successful. I think it’s a combination of us having a personable approach and being proactive,” said Ware.
Formed in 2023 with a grant from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office after an acute rise in smash and grabs and retail thefts through the pandemic, Ware leads the task force.
Ware holds roll call in front of certain River North stores on shipment days.
“It takes a lot of cooperation and teamwork from the merchant, loss prevention, and the law enforcement aspect,” says Ware.
“We really put together a really amazing sort of data driven operation that’s in play right now,” Dart told the I-Team.
Daniel Bekavac is charged with being part of a financial crimes enterprise and selling stolen goods on his Amazon Storefront page. He pleaded not guilty.
“They’re able to put certain tracking devices on certain items that they realize are the ones that are getting stolen more often,” said Dart.
That technology led investigators from both Cook and Will counties to his Channahon warehouse. Inside, they found:
- Nearly 100 vacuums
- 19 home fitness units
- $15,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Walgreens
- $26,000 worth of stolen merchandise from CVS
During the past 2 years, investigators say they have made more than 500 felony arrests and recovered more than $5 million in stolen merchandise.
- Sheriff’s data shows a 31% decrease in retail theft incidents for the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024 in River North and at Macy’s on State Street.
- There’s been a 28% drop in criminal incidents involving retailers in 2024 vs. 2023, according to the team.
We were with the unit when they arrested Jamal Abudan at his home in Orland Park. Prosecutors say security camera footage shows him stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise from two different Home Depots on at least five different occasions, by scanning only some items at the self-check-out station.
The store’s loss prevention unit reached out Cook County’s team for help. Investigators identified the man as Abudan.
He pleaded not guilty and is back in court next month.
Retail theft often leads to more illicit crimes, according to Dart. But he says they are seeing more retail theft charges approved.
“There was directives given from the top up, saying, this is going to be taken in a different way than it had been in the past. And we’re seeing that in live time,” Dart said.
He says they are expanding their presence in Chicago to the South Loop. This will be the department’s sixth substation in the city and is expected to open this summer.
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