On January 31, 2025, A man was charged after approximately $1 million of suspected stolen shoes were recovered from a warehouse.
Erick Lujano Bautista, 26, of Chicago, was charged with one count of theft after a search warrant was executed at a warehouse Friday in the 1500 block of South Western.
Police recovered thousands of suspected stolen shoes, which were Nike, Jordan and New Balance, and the value is approximately $1,000,000.
Following the search, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved a Class 1 Felony Theft charge against Bautista on February 1, 2025. He appeared in court on February 2 and was released pending trial.
This seizure contributes to the ongoing efforts of the Organized Retail Crime Unit, established by Sheriff Thomas J. Dart in 2023. In the past nine months, the unit has recovered over $4.5 million in stolen merchandise. Sheriff Dart emphasized the broader implications of such crimes, stating, “My office – aided by financial support from Attorney General Kwame Raoul – will continue to aggressively pursue organized retail crime organizations, which have been shown to fund other illegal activity.”
