Scammer Switches Savings To Swindle $9,000 In Gift Cards: Morton Grove Crime Reports

MORTON GROVE, IL — The following information comes from the Morton Grove Police Department as a record of police activity. Readers are reminded that an arrest by the police does not constitute a finding of guilt, criminal charges — representing merely accusations by the state — are often dropped or reduced and all persons named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INCIDENTS

IDENTITY THEFT

On Sept. 13, a resident in the 6600 block of Foster Street told police her social security number had been compromised, multiple credit accounts were opened in her name and there had been multiple fraudulent purchases made on them.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

On Sept. 18, a resident in the 8200 block of Parkside Avenue told police the driver’s side window of her vehicle had been smashed but nothing appeared to be missing.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

On Sept. 18, a resident in the 5400 block of Keeney Street told police the driver’s side window of her vehicle had been smashed but nothing appeared missing.

THEFT

On Sept. 19, a representative of a business in the 9200 block of North Waukegan Road told police that someone had stolen all the electrical copper wire that powered the store.

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT (RUSE ATTEMPT)

On Sept. 19, a resident in the 9400 block of Sayre Avenue told police that people had come to his house and spoke about redoing his driveway. They had left a flyer for "Rocky’s Construction" a week prior. The resident told police suspects had begun talking about services for things that did not need work. At this point, the resident realized it was an attempted ruse.

IDENTITY THEFT

Sept. 20, a resident in the 7300 block of Lake Street told police he received a call from someone claiming to be from a technical support company agency that the resident uses for his computer. An unidentified male voice on the phone told the resident he was going to be refunded him for the cost of the services and directed him to log into his online bank accounts so the complainant did. The resident noticed he had more money is his checking then he usually did and the suspect on the phone told him that the company had made a mistake and refunded him too much. The voice on the phone instructed him to buy $9,000 worth of gift cards from Best Buy. The next morning the resident received another call from the same subject telling him to purchase more cards in the amount of $30,000. The resident then went to his bank believing he had been the victim of a scam. The bank informed the man the subject had moved money from his savings account to his checking account. All the man's accounts were frozen and Best Buy refunded the $9,000 worth of gift cards he had purchased.

CAR BURGLARY

On Sept. 22, a patron at the LA Fitness lot in the 6800 block of Dempster Street told police that when she returned to her vehicle after working out she found her purse had been stolen. There was no apparant damage to the vehicle and police were told it may have been left unlocked.

THEFT OF LABOR

On Sept. 23, a resident in 9200 block of Merrill Avenue told police she had been texting the suspect about completing services for her while being her personal assistant. The suspect had been supposed to send a personal check to the resident for her services, but the suspect allegedly sent an invalid check.

CAR BURGLARY

On Sept. 24, a patron at the Metra train station in the 8500 block of Lehigh Avenue reported that both front and rear drivers side windows had been smashed out of a parked vehicle, but it appeared nothing was missing.

CAR BURGLARY

On Sept. 24, police were told that someone stole the bolt to a trailer that had been being stored at a parking lot in the 8300 block of Austin Avenue and stole items from within the trailer.

THEFT

On Sept. 25, a businessperson in the 6100 block of Dempster Street reported that someone stole three decorative vinyl baloons that had been in the corner of his parking lot.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

On Sept. 27, a resident in the 8300 block of Gross Point Road told police he noticed black paint had been thrown on his garage, front stairs, and the bottom of their exterior glass door.

ARRESTS

FELONY CANNABIS, REVOKED LICENSE

Johnny Moore, 19, of the 5400 block of Monroe Street, was stopped for allegedly driving while his license was revoked in the 5900 block of Oakton Street on Sept. 19. In addition to being charged over his revoked license, police charged Moore with intent to deliver between 30 and 500 grams of cannabis and possession of between 30 and 100 grams of cannabis, both charges are felonies.

WARRANT

Cathy Koppe, 62, of the 6300 block of Touhy Avenue in Niles, was arrested in Des Plaines on Sept. 21. The Des Plaines Police Department called Morton Grove police to alert them that the Koppe was taken into custody on a warrant for failure to appear in court after an arrest for a violation of an order of protection.

NO LICENSE/CANNABIS

A 26-year-old Mount Prospect man was stopped for a traffic violation on Sept. 21 and arrested for allegedly driving with a revoked license near the intersection of Church Street and Mason Avenue. He was also issued a local ordinance citation for possession of cannabis.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

A 32-year-old Chicago man was pulled over for allegedly speeding 73 mph in a 35 mph zone and arrested for misdemeanor speeding near the intersection of Dempster Street and Birch Avenue on Sept. 22.

SPEEDING

A 21-year-old Chicago man was pulled over and arrested for allegedly speeding 71 mph in a 35 mph zone near the intersection of Dempster Street and Mansfield Avenue on Sept. 24.

DUI

Jesse W. Herrera, 29, of the 5800 block of Louise Street, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence on Sept. 24 in the 8800 block of Parkside Avenue. Police said they noticed an idling parked vehicle with its lights on and the driver's side door open. Officers walked over to the car and spoke with the driver, who was arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol. 09/24/17 (17-21934)

WARRANT

A 38-year-old Glenview man volunteered his driver's license to police in order to be the secondary driver for a vehicle that police were releasing, officers at the Morton Grove police station found he had an active warrant issued by Winnebago County.

Last week: Morton Grove Police Blotter: Sept. 15 - Sept. 21

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