Chicago Man Busted With Almost $1M In Stolen Sneakers
Written by djfrosty on February 6, 2025
Source: YouTube / CBS News/Cook County Sheriff’s Office
While the sneaker resale market is definitely not what it used to be, fools out here are still taking penitentiary chances to bag and move footwear merchandise in 2025. Case in point, authorities have just pinched another future felon who had enough kicks to make him a millionaire.
According to CBS News, authorities in Chicago busted 26-year-old Erick Lujano Bautista earlier this week after police discovered he was hiding almost $1 million worth of stolen sneakers in a warehouse on the West Side of Chiraq. Still, even with all those sneakers stashed in his hideout, Bautista has been hit with one felony count of theft. Meanwhile the sitting “President” has 34 felony counts on his record…but that’s neither here nor there.
Apparently, police were tipped to Bautista’s illegal operation and took action, which led to the massive discovery and the rest is history.
CBS News reports:
Cook County Sheriff’s officials said investigators executed a search warrant at a warehouse Lujano Bautista was subleasing in the 1500 block of South Western Avenue on Friday, after learning a large number of stolen shoes were being stored there.
Police found thousands of Nike and New Balance brand shoes believed to have been stolen inside the warehouse investigators determined Lujano Bautista was not an authorized seller of either Nike or New Balance brand shoes.
This was not the first time Lujano Bautista was tied to such a theft ring. He was arrested in another high-end theft ring in Lyons back in 2023.
Bautista appeared in court Sunday (Feb. 2) over the bust and though he was allowed to go home to await trial, he did have to hand over his passport and report to a probation officer until his trial date.
With the way things are going out here the man might get deported before that time comes, as the Trump administration is even rounding up American citizens if they’re a shade too dark for its comfort. Just sayin’.
The bust comes as police in Chicago have begun using the new Auror system, which alerts police of certain offenders in multiple jurisdictions.
“It will certainly help, for example, someone in DeKalb who says: ‘Wait a second, we just picked up someone who fits the MO of someone who’s committing a crime in Belvidere, and someone who did the same thing in Naperville. Maybe there’s a connection,’” Karr said.
The Auror system just went into use in Illinois.
“It’s certainly been successful in other states,” Karr said. “We would expect it to be successful here.”
Big brother done got a new way of keeping their ever-growing eye on us. Y’all been warned.