20-Year-Old Palos Man Charged In Freight Thefts, Stole Boots, Vacuums, Gym Shoes: COPS

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — A Palos Heights man accused of stealing and selling high-end sporting goods from rail cars turned himself into police when he was caught selling the merchandise in buy-sell-trade groups. Almahdi Qasem, 20, is charged with one count of theft over $100,000 but less than $500,000, a Class 1 felony. Additional charges are anticipated.

In late May, Palos Heights detectives were contacted by representatives of Sitka, a high-end hunting apparel company, regarding a possible freight theft. The company reported that approximately 100 pairs of hunting boots, valued at $40,000, had been stolen in Chicago, police said in a news release.

The sporting goods company identified online listings for identical boots on Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Police said the representative purchased a pair of hunting boots on eBay, and the return address traced back to a Palos Heights residence.

Detectives executed search warrants for the online accounts. The investigation revealed that the account holder was selling large quantities of Sitka boots, as well as dozens of other items suspected to be stolen – including Bissell vacuums, Nike and Puma shoes, water tanks, LG computer monitors, headphones, blenders and other merchandise.

Working with the Cook County Sheriff’s Community Response Team, investigators conducted several undercover purchases. Police said Sitka boots, children’s Nike shoes and Puma gym shoes were determined to be stolen freight.

On July 16, Cook County and Palos Heights detectives executed search warrants at a Palos Heights residence and at a storage facility near 98th Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. There, investigators found large amounts of stolen merchandise, cash, two bank accounts linked to the sale of stolen goods, and two vehicles used in the operation, police said.

Also found in the storage unit, along with merchandise belonging to Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bissell, Skytech Gaming and other retailers, police said detectives recovered an estimated $250,000 worth of stolen property tied to multiple freight thefts.

Last Friday, Qasem turned himself in at the Palos Heights police station, where he was charged with felony theft. Qasem was released pending his appearance at the Bridgeview Courthouse.