Oct. 17--A Peterson Park man ran a "major" fencing operation and swapped cash for LINK card benefits out of his West Side convenience store, leading to a raid in which investigators confiscated more than $40,000 in cash and $30,000 in merchandise, police said Friday.
Ali Al-Najjar, 45, was arrested a little before 7 a.m. Thursday at his home in the 5700 block of North Mozart Street, and charged with operating a continuing criminal financial enterprise, a felony, according to police and court records. Al-Najjar was released on his own recognizance after a hearing before Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil, according to court records.
Al-Najjar's store, identified in licensing information as Uptown Grocery Inc., 4024 W. Madison St., was shut for multiple city ordinance violations after his arrest, police said.
The Police Department's organized crime bureau began investigating the store after police received complaints about "a major fencing operation" in the Harrison District, according to a news release.
Investigators focused on the store, and found that Al-Najjar "was a large scale buyer of stolen goods and also (was) involved in 'trafficking,' a fraudulent practice" in which he illegally bought electronic credits furnished through LINK cards, according to the release.
Police executed a search warrant at Al-Najjar's home Thursday and confiscated the cash, stolen goods and vehicles, according to the release.
