Elk Grove Village Man Charged With Stealing Over $9.5M In Goods: Feds

CHICAGO — An Elk Grove Village man is accused of stealing more than $9.5 million in goods, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, from interstate shipments. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office (Northern District of Illinois), Aivaras Zigmantas, 39, was arrested Wednesday, and charged with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and two counts of theft of interstate shipments.

Zigmantas pled not guilty and is due back in court on Monday.

Each count of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years, while each theft count is punishable by up to 10 years.

Zigmantas reportedly used various aliases to falsely pose as a representative of real and fictitious carriers and brokers involved in transporting shipments across state lines. After fraudulently inducing individuals and entities to release shipments of goods to him, Zigmantas and others diverted the shipments from their intended destinations and stole the goods, according to prosecutors.

Zigmantas used aliases to open bank accounts and UPS Store mailboxes, and he created email addresses and websites in the names of fake individuals and entities, as part of the fraud scheme.

The indictment alleges that Zigmantas and others intended to steal at least $13.5 million in goods, and successfully stole more than $9.5 million.