Man charged with shipping stolen rice to Bensenville
A New Jersey man shipped 18 pallets of stolen rice to Bensenville in a scheme to make $10,000, prosecutors said Friday.
Neil Patel, 25, of Jersey City, appeared in DuPage County bond court on a felony theft charge.
Prosecutors said the former rice broker intercepted a cargo shipment of rice in his home state and arranged to sell it in Bensenville.
He was arrested after he flew into the area for a "drop-off" and collected a check for $13,000, Assistant State's Attorney Tom Vega said.
Vega said the rice was valued at $35,000 and Patel paid $3,000 to have it shipped to the Chicago area, where he once lived.
He was charged after police received information that he was attempting to sell stolen goods, authorities said.
"He admitted to knowing the property was stolen," Vega said.
Patel identified himself as an independent contractor in bond court, where Judge Thomas Else set bail at $50,000.
Prosecutors said federal authorities also are looking into the case because it involves stolen property being taken across state lines. Vega said police are seeking search warrants for two cellphones Patel had when he was arrested.
The judge ordered Patel, who has family in Kenya and India, to surrender his passport.