Two Lake County men accused of stealing $12,000 worth of cold medicine

Two men have been charged with stealing more than $12,000 worth of cold medicine from drugstores in Illinois and Wisconsin, Lincolnshire police said Thursday.

Drashawn J. Griffin, 21, of the 500 block of Beechwood Drive in Round Lake, and Dave L. Windham, 23, of 2800 block of Elizabeth Lane in Zion, are in Lake County jail on $100,000 bail after being charged with multiple counts of burglary and retail theft via an emergency exit, police Investigator Adam Hyde said.

Griffin and Windham entered a Walgreens in Lincolnshire on Nov. 21 and took $800 worth of over-the-counter cold medicine into a back hallway of the store, Hyde said. Once there, they concealed the cold medication, pulled the store fire alarm and left the building, he said.

During the investigation into the fire alarm, investigators learned some 17 similar thefts at drugstores in Illinois and Wisconsin had taken place, Hyde said, and that more than $12,000 in cold medicine had been stolen.

Hyde said a task force was formed in December composed of police officers from South Barrington, Mundelein, Lake County, Mount Prospect, Grayslake, Spring Grove, Elgin, Elmhurst, Racine, Wis., Kenosha, Wis., and Kenosha County, Wis.

That task force eventually identified Griffin and Windham in the store thefts, and a Lake County grand jury indicted both men Wednesday, Hyde said.

Griffin was served with the arrest warrant at Lake County jail, where he was already in custody on a separate charge, Hyde said.

Windham was arrested Wednesday, and his car was seized.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Hyde at (847) 883-9900.