Something fishy: Former St. Charles restaurant operator accused of stealing thousands in seafood
This is no fish tale.
Several men, including the former operator of a St. Charles seafood store/restaurant, have been charged with theft.
Not of cold cash, but of cold seafood. And a lot of it, according to DuPage County court records.
Ernesto Candia-Campos, 48, faces felony charges of conspiracy to commit theft and theft, as do Oscar Gil, 47, of Chicago, Francisco Arizmendi-Garcia, 38, of Carpentersville, and Jose Hibarra, 56, of Chicago.
The charges allege that from Oct. 1, 2018, to Oct. 8, 2021, Candia-Campos conspired with the others, who worked at Fortune Fish Co. in Bensenville, to steal $187,670 in seafood.
Candia-Campos' address listed on the charges was 311 N. Second St. in St. Charles. That sounded familiar to Susan. Sure enough, it's the address for E & S Fish, from where she has bought crabmeat.
Authorities say Candia-Campos first would place a legitimate order from Fortune, a seafood supplier located just outside O'Hare International Airport. He then would text Gil, Arizmendi-Garcia and Hibarra to add more fish to the order off the books, authorities allege, and would pay the trio using the Zelle app.
The company noticed something fishy, investigated, then called police in October 2021. According to an affidavit seeking forfeiture of Candia-Campos' business van, Fortune estimated it had lost at least $4,000 worth of product a week from April to September 2021.
That affidavit says that on Oct. 8, 2021, Candia-Campos arrived at Fortune to pick up an order. According to the affidavit, the company had called police beforehand, so detectives were waiting.
They found Candia-Campos using a dolly to wheel out what was supposed to be a 21-pound order, valued at $237. But when Fortune officials examined the dolly, they found about 125 pounds of fish, valued at $2,258, according to the charges.
The charges were filed in late January. Candia-Campos, who now lives in South Elgin, Gil and Arizmendi-Garcia posted bond earlier this week. Their first court appearances are in March.
Hibarra had not been arrested as of late Thursday afternoon.
Candia-Campos is no longer the registered agent for E & S, according to state records. His attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Lock 'em up (the guns, that is)
Federally licensed firearms dealers reported 769 burglaries in 2020 and 2021, with nearly 9,000 guns stolen in the break-ins.
If history is any indication, hundreds of those guns will be, or already have been, used to commit a crime.
Now, Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and congressman Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Highland Park, are teaming up on new legislation aimed at making gun dealers beef up their security.
The - take a deep breath - Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective (SECURE) Firearm Storage Act would require all firearms to be fastened to an anchored steel rod or stored in a locked safe or gun cabinet when a federally licensed gun dealer is not open for business.
A dealer found in violation would face a fine for a first offense, a license suspension for a second and license revocation for a third.
The legislation also would authorize the U.S. attorney general to put forth other security measures to reduce the risk of theft, and it would require those applying for a federal license to describe their security plans.
"Thousands of guns are stolen from gun dealers each year, and too often these guns are later used to commit violent crimes," Durbin said in a statement announcing the legislation's filing. "Our bill would help prevent 'smash and grab' burglaries, which supply criminals with weapons they use to carry out acts of violence in our communities. This common-sense legislation will help prevent bloodshed in our neighborhoods."
Among the other sponsors are Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville, Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston and Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago. All are Democrats.
Shop, and save
If you're heading to the Chicago Auto Show over the next 10 days looking for what could be your next new ride, you may also want to take a step to make sure it stays yours.
The Cook County sheriff's office will be at the show offering drivers a chance to sign up for a program that can help law enforcement recover a stolen vehicle.
Most vehicles made since 2015 have tracking capability, but getting the information to law enforcement quickly enough to catch a thief or carjacker requires the owner's consent. Signing the consent form ahead of time allows police to ask the auto manufacturer for the vehicle's location information if it's been stolen.
The sheriff's office will not track a vehicle unless it's taken unlawfully, officials say.
"Finding the vehicles quickly will not only help retrieve the vehicle, but it will prevent it from being used in additional violent crimes and increase the chances of putting the offenders behind bars," Sheriff Tom Dart said in a news release.
After owners complete the consent form, the sheriff's office will mail them carjacking-deterrent decals to display in their vehicle windows.
Cook County saw 1,831 reported carjackings last year. While that's down 10% from 2021, it's still a 23% increase from 2020.
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