Police reassure Hoffman Estates chamber of no danger after threats

The Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce relocated their meeting to the village’s police station last week as a precautionary measure after several board members received threatening phone calls officials say were from an Arizona man with a grudge against Sears.

Six chamber members received calls from the man, who barraged them with insults and, in some instances, a rant against Sears Holdings Corp. Chairman Edward Lampert. Sears is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, and a company official holds a seat on the chamber’s board.

Some chamber members who are Jewish also were subject to anti-semitic remarks. The calls happened throughout last week, and each call came up as a blocked phone number on caller ID.

Although police assured chamber members there was no danger, the decision to move the meeting illustrates how seriously even local officials are taking threats in today’s climate.

“When you’re dealing with businesses you never really know what situations you’ll deal with,” said chamber President Georgeanna Mehr.

Police tracked the caller to Arizona, where the man has a criminal history.

“Obviously we take every threat seriously and we conduct our investigation to determine the level of danger,” said Hoffman Estates police Lt. J.C. Páez.

The Daily Herald is not naming the 43-year-old Arizona man because he has not been charged in regards to the threats and could not be reached for comment. A listed phone number for him had been disconnected.

Chamber members who received the calls said the man apparently believes Sears somehow cheated him on a property deal. Hoffman Estates Village Trustee Karen Mills, one of the board members contacted, described the call as a crude rant, unlike anything she’s heard before.

“It kind of shook you up a little because he was quite aggressive and demanding,” Mills said. “It was just very nasty, and I have had some nasty phone calls, but there was just something in the tone that bothered you a little more than usual.”

Mills remains unsure what the caller was angry about, as he repeatedly mentioned Lampert’s name. The caller also directed her to a batch of his YouTube videos showing him protesting. The videos failed to provide any clarification for Mills.

The caller apparently received the members’ phone numbers from the chamber’s website. That information has since been pulled from the site.

Court records show the caller was convicted of a felony in 2003 for a fight in Peoria, Ariz. He also was found guilty of peeping. The court fined him $750 and sentenced him to two years probation, according to records.

The man also sued an Arizona car dealer, saying he was attacked while he was holding up signs and protesting at the dealership, court records show.

Chamber officials said they’ve been reassured by the police response to the calls and Mehr, one of the board members not contacted by the Arizona man, said she’s confident the chamber will be able to move on with its regular business.