Two charged with fraudulently buying $1 million in goods in ID theft case

An investigation that began when a Lake Forest resident reported being the victim of identify theft in 2018 has led to the arrests two men from Homer Glen.

Jamelle J. McBride, 32, and Brenden Butler, 22, both of the 16000 block of Josef Drive, are accused of using multiple victims' financial and identification information to buy lawn mowers, tractors, appliances and leather goods worth more than $1 million in the past two years. Some items then were sold online.

Police executed a search warrant June 11 and seized fraudulent ID and credit cards as well as numerous devices used to manufacture such cards, Lake Forest police reported. Also seized were two loaded guns, a large amount of money and suspected stolen or fraudulently purchased goods, police said.

McBride was charged with unlawful use of weapon by a felon, aggravated ID theft, continuing financial criminal enterprise and additional charges pending indictment for ID theft, forgery money laundering, tax evasion and ID manufacturing.

Butler was charged with continuing financial criminal enterprise, ID theft and possession of a stolen/fraudulent credit card.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Detectives from the Lake Forest police, the Will County sheriff's office, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Chicago Police Department were involved in the case.