Illinois task force charges Centreville man in alleged retail theft ring

A Centreville man faces multiple felony charges following his arrest through the Organized Retail Crime Task Force established by the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

Gerald Crenshaw, 70, was charged Friday with Class 2 felony organized retail crime, punishable by up to seven years in prison; two counts of Class 2 felony money laundering, each punishable by up to seven years in prison, Class 2 felony theft, punishable by up to seven years in prison; and five counts of Class 3 felony theft, each punishable by up to five years in prison.

According to a release from Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, Crenshaw knowingly purchased new, in-the-box stolen merchandise for the purpose of reselling them. The items, including power tools and electronics, were purportedly stolen from local retailers.

The charges arose from information developed during a similar but separate investigation that resulted in charges filed earlier this month against Christopher D. Odem, 50, of Belleville, who also was accused of possessing, purchasing and intending to sell purported stolen retail merchandise.

The Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Department of Revenue’s (IDOR) Bureau of Criminal Investigations assisted with the investigation.

“Buying and reselling stolen items creates a market that encourages retail crime and makes communities less safe,” Raoul said. “Today’s charges demonstrate the importance of the collaborative work that my office’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force is doing to hold individuals accountable. I would like to thank the Illinois State Police and our law enforcement and retail partners for their help with this investigation.”

Assistant Attorneys General Heidi Epperson and Angel VonBokel are prosecuting the case.