3 charged with ID theft scheme at Deer Park Apple store

Three people are facing charges after they tried to charge thousands of dollars’ worth of products to others’ AT&T accounts at a north suburban Apple store.

Alexander J. Soto, 25, of Yonkers, New York, was charged with burglary, identity theft and retail theft, all felonies, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office. Diamand D. Reid, 22, of Roseville, Michigan, faces felony counts of burglary and identity theft.

On Friday evening, deputies responded to the Apple store at 30530 N. Rand Rd. in Deer Park and found Soto and Reid tried to gain access to others’ AT&T accounts while at the store, according to the sheriff’s office. They then tried to bill more than $3,000 worth of Apple products to the accounts.

Police were called back to the same store about 7 p.m. Saturday to find that 18-year-old John Michael Johnson of Ferndale, Michigan, had also tried to make a purchase using another person’s identity, the sheriff’s office said. Johnson was arrested and charged with felony counts of burglary and identity theft.

Detectives are contacting other local Apple stores to see if the suspects tried the same crime elsewhere, according to the sheriff’s office. They are also investigating if there is a connection between these arrests and seven other people arrested for theft last year at the same Apple store.

Soto was ordered held at the Lake County Jail on a $70,000 bond and Reid was ordered held on a $60,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office. Both are next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 2.

Johnson’s bond was set at $100,000, the sheriff’s office said. He is due back in court Feb. 1.