Man sentenced to 24 years in Red Bull heists
In the movie he produced, Samer Bader tells a suspenseful story of a Chicago burglar, shooting in documentary form that leaves the audience unsure if it is real or fiction.
The critically acclaimed 2006 "Street Thief" played at the Tribeca and Midwest Independent film festivals and was sold to the A&E Network.
In an example of life imitates art, Bader pulled off his own brazen heists, leaving his still-shaken victims wishing their experience was fiction.
Bader, 31, formerly of Glen Ellyn, was sentenced to 24 years in prison Tuesday for armed robbery and aggravated kidnapping. He pleaded guilty earlier to both Red Bull truck heists.
The police investigation began March 6, 2006, after a trucker was attacked outside Sam's Club in Woodridge. The gunmen tied up the trucker, placed a hood over his head and hijacked him and his haul of Red Bull.
He freed himself and, after suffering a beating, was left on a road in Romeoville.
Police were chasing leads when, three weeks later, March 24, 2006, the two gunmen confronted the same trucker and three other employees at Power Distributing warehouse in Elmhurst. The victims were tied up at gunpoint before their assailants made off with the stolen goods. A total of 1,487 cases of Red Bull worth nearly $48,000 were stolen in both heists.
One worker was so terrified, he had to quit his job. The other man, targeted twice, said his sense of security was stolen.
"I really thought my life would end this time," he said, trying not to cry. "I got away the first time, but I thought there was no way they would let me live now."
An apologetic Bader said he committed the crimes because of financial problems and never intended to hurt anyone. Bader said he lost everything and lives with constant regret.
"I have no one to blame except myself," he said, through tears. "Everything I worked for is gone, including my freedom, all because I made bad decisions."
Prosecutor Kenneth Tatarelis detailed Bader's extensive criminal history that included several aliases. Bader's real first name is Kasim. Tatarelis noted the extensive planning that went into both Red Bull heists, and the trauma it caused.
"He idolizes crime," Tatarelis said. "Well, this wasn't some movie. In this case, hardworking men arrived at work at the crack of dawn only to be terrorized."
The defendant's older brother, Malik Bader, who directed and starred in the film, told the judge his brother has family support and a job when he is freed. Though his brother has made a lot of mistakes, Malik Bader said Samer is not a criminal.
"This is not an individual who should be written off," defense attorney Wayne Brucar added. "His life was out of control, but he has a tremendous amount of rehabilitative potential."
Elmhurst police detective John Tarpey got a break in the case when a tipster identified Samer Bader in the surveillance footage after it was made public. Bader was arrested in New York. Tarpey said he had airplane tickets to flee the country.
DuPage Circuit Judge Robert Anderson lamented Bader's "squandered potential," but said the brazen crimes merit a 24-year sentence. Bader faced up to 30.
A co-defendant, William Moctezuma, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last month. He'll be sentenced Feb. 11.