Duo Arrested 2 Years After Identity Theft In Lake Forest: Cops

LAKE FOREST, IL — Two southwest suburban men are accused of stealing more than $1 million using the stolen identities of multiple victims in the Chicago area following a two-year investigation by Lake Forest detectives, police said.

The investigation started in June 2018 after a Lake Forest resident reported that someone had stolen their identity. During the ensuing probe, detectives identified two key suspects.

Jamelle McBride, 32, and Brenden Butler, 22, both of the 16000 block of Josef Drive, Homer Glen, have been charged with a combined nine felonies in Will County Court, records show. Lake Forest police said they expect additional charges to be filed in Lake and Will counties against both men and "additional co-conspirator."

Police said the two men used the financial information and identities of multiple people to buy expensive items online. Their purchases included tractors, appliances, lawn mowers and leather goods. According to police, they would pick up the purchased items by spoofing the cardholder's identity.

They would then put the fraudulently purchased products up for sale using online forums and apps to turn the high-value items into cash, according to police.

A judge approved a search warrant for the men's Homer Glen home. In the early morning of June 11, local, state and federal agents showed up at the house to execute the warrant, police said.

Lake Forest detectives were joined by deputies from the Will County Sheriff's Office and Chicago police as well as as agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service and the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Police said the search turned up multiple devices that can be used to make fake identification and credit cards, loaded guns and a large amount of cash.

Among the items they reported finding were a device for encoding and re-encoding the magnetic strip of credit cards, printers used to manufacture fake identification and credit cards.

Police also said they found numerous fake driver's licenses, fake credit cards and re-encoded cards. There were two loaded guns, fraudulently purchased appliances, multiple vehicles, computers, cellphone and various pieces of suspected stolen property.

According to the Will County Circuit Court Clerk's Office, McBride was charged with two counts of continuing financial crimes enterprise, a class 1 felony, aggravated identity theft and identity theft, class 2 felonies, and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, a class 3 felony.

Butler has been charged with one count of continuing financial crimes enterprise, a class 1 felony, and the class 3 felonies of identity theft and possession of a fraudulent credit card, according to court records. The date of their next court appearance was not immediately available.