Three men have been charged with taking part in a fencing operation that bought and resold stolen items out of the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side.
Wael Jarwan
Yacoub Khaliefeh, 54, of the 2800 block of North Natoma Avenue, was charged with organizing a financial crime enterprise; Wael Jarwan, 43, also of the 2800 block of North Natoma, was charged with felony theft; and Najeh Hamad, 44, of the 9900 block of Massasoit Avenue in Oak Lawn, is charged with misdemeanor theft, according to River Forest police.
An investigation was launched after a retail theft suspect provided information to River Forest police about a fencing operation on the 3700 block of West Chicago Avenue, according to a statement from police.
Yacoub Khaliefeh
The operation would purchase stolen products for about 10 cents on the dollar, according to the statement. Some of the merchandise was resold in Chicago, while tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen products were shipped to at least two locations in New York.
According to the statement, about $19,000 worth of stolen property, $14,000 in currency and five vehicles were recovered during the month-long investigation.
