Cook County Sheriff’s Police have arrested 16 offenders and confiscated large quantities of ecstasy, cocaine and other drugs following an undercover operation at a phony storefront pawn shop in the northern suburbs earlier this month.
Among those arrested in the operation was Andre Hill, 25, of the 2200 block of W. Ohio St., who attempted to sell offices a BMW sports utility vehicle—which carries a sticker price of more than $50,000—for $9,000. According to investigators, Hill had recently leased the vehicle and was planning to report it stolen after selling it to undercover officers at the pawn shop. In addition to the car, Hill sold officers significant quantities of ecstasy. He faces three Class X counts of delivery of a controlled substance for the sale of the ecstasy as well as an unlawful use of a weapon charge after police recovered a .22-caliber automatic handgun following his arrest.
“Operation Fast Cash” was initiated four months ago when Sheriff’s investigators obtained a lease for storefront property in unincorporated Glenview and opened the phony pawn shop at 518 Zenith Dr. Undercover officers posed as the proprietors of the shop, which was set up as a store where items could be bought and sold for cash. Investigators distributed fliers and took out newspaper ads to spread the word about the store’s operation.
According to Sheriff Michael F. Sheahan, narcotics quickly became the common denominator of the investigation.
“Pawn shops are sometimes known to draw the criminal element, and this shop proved to be no different,” Sheahan said. “The majority of the offenders sold varying amounts of crack cocaine to officers, but some also sold marijuana and quantities of MDMA, the drug known as ecstasy.
In addition to the drugs, police also purchased jewelry from one of the offenders that included a gold watch and a diamond tennis bracelet. Sheriff’s investigators believe that jewelry was stolen and are attempting to identify the original owner of the property, valued at more than $5,000.
All of the offenders arrested were recorded on surveillance video as they sold drugs or other goods to the undercover officers. Police used the surveillance tapes to identify the offenders and obtain warrants for their arrest. The video will also be used as evidence in the court proceedings against the offenders. |
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