Three more men were charged Tuesday in a series of smash-and-grab burglaries at high-end retail stores on Michigan Avenue and the North Side.
A fourth man, 24-year-old Jawon Sellers, was charged Sunday in connection with a January smash-and-grab burglary at a Best Buy store in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Tommie Adams, 22, of the 10100 block of South LaSalle Street, was charged with one felony count of burglary and one felony count of theft in connection with the smash-and-grab at a Neiman Marcus store on Michigan Avenue in December.
Kenneth Greene, 23, of the 5600 block of South Emerald Avenue, and Hershel Phillips, 18, of the 5800 block of South Peoria, were also charged with one felony count of burglary and ordered held on $250,000 bail Tuesday, police said.
Police continue to search for four more named suspects, as well as more unnamed suspects in the burglaries, they said.
The same group of offenders is responsible for 40 incidents during the last two years in the Chicago area and other states, police said. They are believed to be affiliated with a gang.
"The subjects are affiliated with the Gangster Disciples street gang, but instead of selling drugs and engaging in the types of crimes normally associated with street gangs, this particular crew focused on burglarizing these high-end retail stores and boutiques," Chicago Police Commander Eugene Roy said.
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The offenders first used crow bars and other tools to break into the stores, but they later started using stolen vehicles when stores increased their security, police said.
