Man Arrested In Shorewood Faces Truck Seizure

SHOREWOOD, IL - Two months after Shorewood Police officers arrested Michael D. Lewis at the Mariano's grocery store authorities are trying to declare the previously convicted thief's 2010 GMC Sierra as a forfeited asset. A court hearing on the matter is set for Jan. 9 at the Will County Courthouse. Lewis was charged on Oct. 10 with two felonies, theft and retail theft.

Lewis, who shows an address in Chicago, was convicted in 2007 of theft in Vermilion County, the complaint states. On Oct. 9, he was busted at the Mariano's for stealing beer and tequila, court records show.

On Oct. 9, four Shorewood Police officers responded to the Mariano's on Brookforest Avenue regarding "an unwanted subject," court documents state. The Mariano's loss prevention officer said he saw Lewis enter Mariano's and "further knew the subject from prior incidents where the subject had removed merchandise from Mariano's without paying for it," court documents state. Lewis walked out of the Mariano's "with a cart of merchandise that he did not pay for."

One of the Shorewood officers saw Lewis in the parking lot by his 2010 black GMC Sierra pickup truck. Lewis then began "to hurriedly throw several items into the rear seat of the vehicle," court documents note. "It should be noted that none of the items in the vehicle were bagged."

Shorewood Police told Lewis they were called to Mariano's because of a retail theft, and they wanted to see his store receipt. "Lewis stated that he paid with cash for the items and that the left his receipt in the store," court documents note.

Lewis claimed he did not remember which register he used and "Lewis would not provide any further information," court documents state. Shorewood Police realized Lewis also had outstanding arrest warrants for retail theft in Evergreen Park and Orland Park.

At that point, Lewis was taken away in handcuffs and delivered to the Will County Jail.

Later, the Mariano's loss prevention officer told Shorewood Police that Lewis exited Mariano's "with a cart of unbagged merchandise" and the scanned items totaled $397.11.

"It should further be noted that surveillance video showed Lewis enter the North entrance, proceed to the liquor department, and place a bottle of Crown Royal into his cart and another surveillance video showed Lewis exit through the north exit away from any of the registers," the forfeiture complaint reads.

The forfeiture complaint asks a judge of Will County to declare Lewis' 2010 GMC Sierra truck a forfeited asset and have it sold at a public auction, destroyed or given to an Illinois law enforcement agency because it "was used to facilitate the commission of a retail theft in that said vehicle was used to transport Michael D. Lewis to the location where the retail theft took place."

Mugshot of Michael D. Lewis via Will County Sheriff