fran
Former Member
Feds seek to detain family accused of running shoplifting ring
The suburban Chicago family stole with startling efficiency from toy stores, booksellers and coffee shops from Maryland to Texas, its matriarch often dressed in a bulky black dress outfitted with a compartments for stuffing large merchandise, federal authorities said Wednesday.
Lego blocks, expensive dolls, electronics, cosmetics -- even bags of coffee from Starbucks were concealed under clothing and slipped out of the stores. Little by little, year after year, the three family members were able to make off with millions of dollars of merchandise from well-known retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Toys R Us, fencing the thousands of items on the online auction site eBay, charges alleged.
The decade-long scheme ended after federal authorities say they recently followed Branko Bogdanov, 58, wife Lela, 52, and their daughter, Julia, 34, on a four-day, cross-country stealing spree last month. Agents watched as the Bogdanovs entered stores in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, then exited with Lela Bogdanovs black dress seemingly bursting at the seams, according to a criminal complaint lodged Wednesday in federal court.
full article and video at link ..................... http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ion-shoplifting-ring-20140305,0,6669760.story
The suburban Chicago family stole with startling efficiency from toy stores, booksellers and coffee shops from Maryland to Texas, its matriarch often dressed in a bulky black dress outfitted with a compartments for stuffing large merchandise, federal authorities said Wednesday.
Lego blocks, expensive dolls, electronics, cosmetics -- even bags of coffee from Starbucks were concealed under clothing and slipped out of the stores. Little by little, year after year, the three family members were able to make off with millions of dollars of merchandise from well-known retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Toys R Us, fencing the thousands of items on the online auction site eBay, charges alleged.
The decade-long scheme ended after federal authorities say they recently followed Branko Bogdanov, 58, wife Lela, 52, and their daughter, Julia, 34, on a four-day, cross-country stealing spree last month. Agents watched as the Bogdanovs entered stores in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, then exited with Lela Bogdanovs black dress seemingly bursting at the seams, according to a criminal complaint lodged Wednesday in federal court.
full article and video at link ..................... http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ion-shoplifting-ring-20140305,0,6669760.story