A 27-year-old man from Florida faces multiple felony charges after a series of retail thefts in Chicago. The charges come following an investigation by the Cook County Sheriff's Police Organized Retail Crime Taskforce, as announced by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.

Investigators received a tip last month about Brandon Kelly from Jacksonville, Florida. He was allegedly selling stolen goods in the 6300 block of South Ashland Avenue, located in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood.

On January 9th, authorities conducted a targeted surveillance operation which led to Kelly's arrest. He reportedly stole items from various stores along the 4900 block of South Kedzie Avenue before returning to West Englewood to sell them.

The investigation revealed that Kelly allegedly threatened a store clerk with a firearm. He was arrested in the 6200 block of South Ashland Avenue and found with a loaded handgun and approximately $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise.

Kelly also had an active arrest warrant in Cook County for shoplifting and has previous arrests across Illinois, Florida, and California for crimes including retail theft, burglary, domestic violence, and violating an order of protection.

On January 10th, Kelly was charged with several felonies: Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Retail Theft, and Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. He appeared at his initial hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse where he was ordered detained at Cook County Jail. His next court appearance is set for January 14th.

The public is reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.