sellers was ordered held in lieu of $150

3 more charged in 'crash

Hershel Phillips is the youngest suspect in a large "crash and grab" ring that barreled through the doors of high end stores and made off with more replica louis vuitton than $2 million in merchandise high quality designer replica handbags over the past several months, according to police.

Roy said the recovery of stolen items has been "minimal replica louis vuitton bags from china to date" because the crew sold them so quickly. "They're gone almost as soon as they're stolen," he said.

Wodnicki called the ring "organized" and "disciplined" and said the members know each other because they're either from the same neighborhood near 57th Street and Emerald Avenue or affiliated with that area. The investigation into the burglaries was dubbed Operation MOE, for Money on Emerald.

The suspects, most of them reputed Gangster Disciples, went from selling drugs to a "lot less risky" burglaries, according to Wodnicki and Roy. They started by using metal crowbars to break the store windows, then moved up to driving stolen cars and vans into the stores.

"Criminals are criminals," Roy said. "They're looking for a way to make money and they're looking for an easy way to make money. And doing burglaries is a lot easier than standing out on the corner for 12 hours a day selling dope and a lot cheap replica handbags less risky too."

Roy said the crew would "scope out" locations and merchandise they wanted to steal, "formulate a plan," draw Designer Louis Vuitton Replica Handbags maps of the floor plans and come back later to carry out the burglaries.

The "very difficult" investigation came to a head with the brazen overnight burglary at the Neiman Marcus on the Mag Mile in December. Nine burglars crashed a white Dodge Grand Caravan through the Superior Street entrance of the store, making off with designer purses and other luxury items, police said.

The van "became wedged in the structure," and two suspects were trapped inside and were taken into custody after they tried to flee and hide, Roy said. The arrests "led to the identification of several crew members."

Until then, "we replica louis vuitton bags had a lot of video of people in masks and glvoes and, ah, it's hard to convict and arrest people that are wearing masks and gloves,'' Roy said.

Both Thomas and Erwin are suspected of being part of the crew that hit the Neiman Marcus store Dec. 10.

Adams, also at large, is suspected of hitting an Yves St. Laurent store near the 900 block of North Rush Street while Johnson is charged with the burglary of the Cisco Nyc store in the 4000 block of West Madison Street, police said.

Among the four already in custody are Phillips and Kenneth Greene, 23, both charged with burglary and each ordered held Tuesday in lieu of $250,000 bail.

In addition to the J Bees burglary, Phillips is accused of participating in the burglary of Moncler at 33 E. Oak St., where $101,820 in merchandise was taken Sept. 15, according to Antonietti.

replica louis vuitton handbags Greene is suspected in the burglary of a Best Buy in the 2600 block of North Clark Street, and Phillips is charged with the J Bee's burglary.

Tommie Adams, 22, of the 10100 block of South LaSalle Street, appeared Fake Louis Vuitton Replica Bags in court Monday, charged with a burglary at the Luxury Garage Sale, police said.

A fourth man taken into custody, Jawon Sellers, 24, was charged over the weekend with the Best Buy burglary.

Police say Sellers, Greene and others crashed a van through the window of the store and made off with electronics worth more than $11,000. Sellers was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 bail during a court aaa replica designer handbags hearing Sunday.

Following are details of some of the crash and grab robberies that have occurred since late last year:

Burglars barreled into a Southwest Side pawnshop Dec. 9.

The day before Thanksgiving, burglars drove through metal shutters and glass doors of the Cisco Nyc store in the 4000 block of West Madison Street in West Garfield Park. Surveillance video showed nearly two dozen burglars making off with high end shoes, shirts and other expensive clothing.

Early on Thanksgiving morning in the city's Austin community, burglars crashed a pickup truck 1:1 replica handbags through a concrete wall of the J Bees Clothing and Footwear store in the 5200 block of West North Avenue. Nov. 18.

Another Louis Vuitton store, at Oakbrook Center mall, was hit in a crash and grab burglary Sept. 7 when thieves rammed a minivan into the store, stealing about $120,000 worth of merchandise.

Aurora police have been investigating a similar style crime that occurred Nov. 4 at Salvatore Ferragamo in the Chicago Premium Outlets mall. A minivan rammed through the front window of high quality replica handbags china the store. Burglars escaped with $40,000 in purses and luggage.

As part of the investigation into the burglaries, Chicago police have been looking into the death of 31 Discount Replica Louis Vuitton Bags year old Cleveland Head, who was suspected of being part of a crash and grab crew, according to a source with knowledge of the probe.

Head's body was found Feb.

An autopsy showed Head, who according to court records also used the first name Cleven, suffered a broken neck due to blunt force trauma, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.