Ex-Employee Charged In $38K Business Credit Card Theft Case: Des Plaines PD

DES PLAINES, IL — A former employee of a local business has been charged with felony theft for reportedly making $38,000 in unauthorized charges on a company credit card. Joshua Primack, 44, of the 1300 block of Collins Drive, Elburn, was arrested Tuesday following a nearly yearlong investigation.

According to Des Plaines police, officers had responded to the business in the 1000 block of Graceland Avenue on June 23, 2025, for a theft report. The owner of the business told police he had been getting notifications that a company credit card assigned to an employee who had not worked there in nearly two years had recent charges.

The former employee was identified as Primack, who had left the company in November 2023. Police reported that Primack had once possessed a company American Express card with his name on it. After his employment ended, the card was frozen, but police said American Express was later asked to unfreeze it by verifying the name on the card and a date of birth.

Police said the total amount of the charges was about $38,000 and that the shipping address listed on the purchases matched Primack's address on file. The business owner provided documentation of the charges and confirmed the ending card number for the account, according to police. Police said all the charges were made between Jan. 1, 2025, and June 23, 2025.

The case was turned over to the Des Plaines Police Department's Investigation Division. During the investigation, detectives learned that although the physical company card had been turned in when Primack's employment ended, the card was digitally reactivated in September 2024. Detectives also found that a charge listed an email address that registered back to Primack.

Police said search warrants later verified that Primack was the person using the credit card at the time of the purchases. On May 4, detectives went to Primack's residence, where they found him in front of the property. Police said Primack agreed to speak with detectives and admitted making the purchases without authorization, but later refused to continue talking.

After the business owner confirmed he wanted to pursue complaints, Primack came to the Des Plaines Police Station on Tuesday to turn himself in, police said. The Cook County Assistant State's Attorney's Office approved one felony theft charge, according to police. Primack was arrested and later taken to a Cook County courthouse for a detention hearing.