A Chicago man is facing a Class 1 Felony Theft charge after the Cook County Sheriff's Police Organized Retail Crime Unit discovered thousands of suspected stolen shoes in a West Side warehouse. The announcement was made by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.
In January, investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Office were informed about a significant number of stolen Nike shoes stored at a warehouse on the 1500 block of South Western Avenue. The investigation revealed that Erick Lujano Bautista, residing on the 0-100 block of East Randolph Street, was sub-leasing the warehouse.
On January 31, authorities executed a search warrant at the location and recovered approximately $1 million worth of Nike and New Balance shoes believed to be stolen. Both shoe companies are collaborating with Sheriff's Police to ascertain the status of the remaining items. Lujano Bautista was not an authorized seller for either brand.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved a Class 1 Felony Theft charge against Lujano Bautista on February 1. During his initial appearance hearing on February 2 at George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building, he was ordered released from custody pending trial.
Sheriff Dart established the Organized Retail Crime Unit in 2023, which recovered over $3.6 million in stolen merchandise last year alone. This recent recovery increases the total amount of recovered merchandise to over $4.5 million in nine months.
“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,” Sheriff Dart stated.
It is important to note that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.