Charges announced in multi-state retail theft ring bust

JOLIET, Ill. — Ten individuals have been charged with a range of felonies following a yearlong undercover investigation across multiple states.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office announced the charges today which came nearly one month after multiple search warrants were executed on October 6, 2022 in Chicago, Cicero, Oak Lawn, Bolingbrook, and three locations in California. Officers recovered approximately $7.5 million worth of retail products and evidence showing “a sophisticated criminal enterprise,” according to the release.

State’s Attorney James Glasgow is quoted in the release as saying “Rather than go after the thieves who stole these items at the retailers, we are prosecuting those at the top of the organization so that we can put an end to the entire enterprise.”

The full list of defendants are below along with the charges against them and what mugshots were available.

IAAD HAMAD

• Organizer of a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Failure to File an Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

HANI HAMAD

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Wire Fraud (Class 3 Felony – Category B)
• Filing a Fraudulent Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

MARKELL SPENCER

• Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category B)

MICHAEL BEALS

• Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 4 Felony – Category B)
• Failure to File an Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

FEKEISHA HAMLIN

• Theft (Class 2 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 2 Felony – Category A)
• Filing a Fraudulent Income Tax Return (Class 4 Felony – Category B)

DYLAN BRYANT

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category A)

BRETT PENDLETON

• Theft (Class X Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 2 Felony – Category A)

AHMED SALEM

• Theft (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category B)

DONALD KIMBALL

• Theft (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 3 Felony – Category A)

ARTHUR BLAIRE

• Money Laundering (Class 1 Felony – Category A)
• Money Laundering Conspiracy (Class 2 Felony – Category A)