Police arrest four in suspected shoplifting ring

A four-month investigation into an organized shoplifting ring culminated over the weekend with the arrests of four suburban residents on allegations they stole thousands of dollars of merchandise from retailers across the Chicago area, Arlington Heights police announced Tuesday.

Police said the suspects used diversionary tactics to distract store's lost prevention employees and targeted Apple, Samsung, Roomba vacuums and Lego products. The stolen merchandise was then sold through an online auction site, police said.

On Saturday, police executed search warrants on the suspects homes and bank safe deposit boxes, recovering more than $20,000 in stolen merchandise, authorities said. Also seized were a Mercedes-Benz, two firearms, more than $45,000 in jewelry and $100,000 in cash, police said.

Arrested were Dragan Moro Owens, 36, of the 3500 block of Carol Lane, in Northbrook; Natsasa Petrov, 34, of the 3500 block of Carol Lane in Northbrook; Kochak Owens, 18, of the 3500 block of Carol Lane in Northbrook; and Zvanko Dobobrov, 21, of the 2200 block of Cedar Court in Northbrook.

All face a charge of continuing a financial crime enterprise, a felony, and appeared in court Tuesday morning. Kochak Owens and Dobobrov were being held at the Cook County jail on $50,000 and $40,000 bail, respectively. Bail information was not available for Petrov or Dragan Owens.

Arlington Heights police Cmdr. Nathan Hayes credited “good old-fashioned detective work” for breaking up the suspected crime ring.

“It started as just regular retail theft cases and the detectives started drawing up links between them and connecting the dots,” Hayes said. “They put together a phenomenal case.”

A fifth suspect is expected to surrender later this week, according to police.

Hayes said it is unclear how long the suspected theft ring may have been operating, but they were “entrenched for a while” before coming to investigators' attention four months ago.

Arlington Heights police led the investigation, which also included the Cook County State's Attorney Regional Organized Crime Task Force, the Bloomingdale Police Department, the Downers Grove Police Department, the Gurnee Police Department, the Niles Police Department, the Northbrook Police Department, the Schaumburg Police Department and the Vernon Hills Police Department. They received cooperation from Bed Bath & Beyond, HHGregg, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot and Toys R Us.