November 3, 2022 JOLIET—State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that indictments have been brought against 10 individuals charged in a multi-state, organized criminal retail theft fencing operation for stolen merchandise operating in Chicago involving approximately $7.5 million in retail products. Retail thefts in Wilmette led to the identification of this fencing ring, and a cooperative multi-jurisdictional investigation was initiated after these thefts were linked to ongoing retail thefts occurring in Shorewood and Will County.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office worked with agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, the Shorewood, Wilmette, and Chicago Police Departments, the Will County Police Assistance Team, the Illinois Department of Revenue, the Illinois State Police, and California Highway Patrol on this yearlong undercover investigation into the sophisticated retail theft fencing operation. Private sector retail partners from Kroger’s Organized Retail Crime Unit, the CVS Organized Retail Crime Team, Walgreens, and Target provided integral support to law enforcement agencies during the criminal investigation.

Through multiple search warrants executed on October 6, 2022, in Chicago, Cicero, Oak Lawn, Bolingbrook and three in California, law enforcement officers recovered estimated $7.5 million dollars’ worth of retail products and evidence of a sophisticated criminal enterprise.

“We all pay the price when sophisticated criminals develop distribution systems to transport and sell stolen retail products, through the higher prices that are passed on to the consumer and, more significantly, with increased criminal activity when those at the top of these sophisticated enterprises recruit individuals to engage in theft at the local retailer,” Glasgow said. “Rather than go after the thieves who stole these items at the retailers, we are prosecuting those at the top of the organization so that we can put an end to the entire enterprise. This sends the loud and clear message that crime will not be tolerated in Will County.”

The products that the defendants are charged with illegally distributing and selling were transported through Will County. Additionally, some of the product was sold in Will County.

Below is a list of the defendants who have been indicted and the charges against them.

IAAD H. HAMAD

• Organizer of a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Failure to File an Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

HANI HOUSEIN HAMAD

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Wire Fraud (Class 3 Felony – Category B)
• Filing a Fraudulent Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

MARKELL SPENCER

• Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category B)

MICHAEL O. BEALS

• Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 4 Felony – Category B)
• Failure to File an Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

FEKEISHA L. HAMLIN

• Theft (Class 2 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 2 Felony – Category A)
• Filing a Fraudulent Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

DYLAN P BRYANT

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category A)

BRETT F PENDLETON

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 2 Felony – Category A)

AHMED S SALEM

• Theft (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category B)

DONALD R KIMBALL

• Theft (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category A)

ARTHUR C BLAIRE

• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 2 Felony – Category A)

The indictments are provided with this release along with available mugshots.