Elmhurst Con Artist Admits To Local Scams: Cops

ELMHURST, IL – The man who is suspected of defrauding two Elmhurst businesses admitted to the crimes, according to a police report.

John Loresch, 54, was charged with theft by deception in connection with an incident at Get Bazzy, 152 N. York St.

But a police report obtained by Patch indicates he admitted to the same scam at Jimmy John's, 696 W. North Ave.

He also acknowledged attempting the same thing at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is across the street from Get Bazzy, police said.

His scam has been the same for more than a dozen years. In 2010, he received a nine-year prison sentence for defrauding an Elmhurst gas station the previous year.

His scam involves telling an employee in a business that he is a friend of the owner and that he or a family member was in a desperate situation and needed money.

Since his release from prison, he has been arrested a number of times for continuing the fraud.

Almost immediately after the incidents in late May, Elmhurst police figured out their suspect was Loresch.

They caught up with Loresch on June 8 at a Burger King in Maywood.

Loresch told them he was suffering from a cocaine addiction and that he was spending a lot of money each day on drugs, police said. He said he needed rehabilitation.

Loresch said he wanted the victims to know that he was not a violent person. He said he committed the crimes because of his addiction, police said.

On May 29, Loresch entered Get Bazzy and said his name was "Jay," according to the report. He told an employee that his cousin was in an accident and that he just left the hospital.

Loresch said his cousin needed money for a tow truck. He said he knew the owner.

The employee called the owner and handed the phone to Loresch, police said.

The employee became distracted by other customers, while Loresch had a short conversation with the owner.

Then Loresch handed the employee a sticky note with "$250" and "5-29-22" written on it, the report said. Loresch said he should be given $300 just to be safe, police said.

Because Loresch mentioned the owner's name, the employee believed his story and gave $300, police said.

The owner called the employee a little while later and told her she was lied to.

The owner assumed "Jay" was the owner of a nearby business. Loresch told the owner his wife was in an accident, but he made no request for money, according to the report.

Loresch is being held in the DuPage County Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond.