Bond reduced for golf ball scam suspects
Bond was reduced Wednesday for two Lake County men accused of stealing more than $400,000 from people who believed they were buying personalized golf balls from the pair.
Associate Judge Daniel Shanes set bond for Marco Maggiore at $100,000 and said Lloyd Morris could go free if he posted 10 percent of $200,000.
Both were ordered held on $1 million bond after their arrests late Monday on charges of theft, mail and computer fraud and money laundering.
Assistant State's Attorney Ken Lorenz said the men have been telling people throughout the country they would sell personalized golf balls for $1 apiece, but have not delivered any of the thousands of balls that were ordered.
Lincolnshire police said Maggiore, 35, of the 500 block of Checker Drive in Buffalo Grove, and Morris, 34, of the 1100 block of Springfield Avenue in Deerfield, created at least two dummy companies to advance the scheme.
Beginning in January 2008, Iconic Concepts and Bellamax used offices in Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove and Long Grove to solicit buyers of Titleist Pro V1 balls personalized with company logos at $12 per box.
Police said buyers lined up because the price for that brand never drops below $35 to $40 per box.
Police contend the pair also conned pro shops at golf courses into ordering large quantities of the balls for them and never paid for those orders.
During Maggiore's bond hearing, Waukegan attorney Michael Nerheim of Waukegan told Shanes the two men have known they were under investigation for at least a month and have cooperated with police.
Maggiore's bond should be lowered, Nerheim said, because he is not a danger to the community and is not a flight risk.
"My client intends to fight these charges," Nerheim said. "If he was going to flee, he would have done so a month ago."
Lorenz opposed any reduction of bond, saying the men were soliciting buyers as late as last week, and police expect to find more victims of their scheme.
Lincolnshire police investigator John-Erik Anderson told Shanes that when Buffalo Grove police questioned the men about their business, the suspects told detectives to speak to Larry Phillips, a fictional employee of both companies.
Anderson said Morris was convicted of theft in Champaign County in 1995 and was placed on probation, while Maggiore has no prior criminal history.
He said police have seized a bank account containing $8,000 to $10,000, but most of the money taken from the 88 known victims remains unaccounted for.
Shanes ordered both men to surrender passports if they are able to post bond and said they could not use the Internet while the case against them is pending.
Anderson said anyone who was contacted by either suspect, their companies or Phillips should call Lincolnshire police at (847) 883-9900.