TWIN LAKES, Wis. — Five Illinois men have been charged with six crimes each in connection with the August 10 burglary of Goldenrod City Collectibles in downtown Twin Lakes, where thieves allegedly stole more than $310,000 worth of Pokémon cards and other merchandise. One of the defendants, a 45-year-old Chicago man, remains in custody on $50,000 cash bail after Judge Angelina Gabriele authorized a $500,000 arrest warrant. A separate investigation into fraudulent purchases at the same business has resulted in additional criminal charges, including a felony against Allen K. Jones, 31, of Chicago.
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
Kenosha County Eye has obtained the identities of additional suspects through criminal court records but is withholding certain names at the request of investigators because of ongoing investigative and law enforcement safety concerns. Additional identities may be released as the investigations progress. Twin Lakes Police Chief Katie Hall confirmed that investigators have identified suspects, made arrests and pursued criminal charges in the burglary investigation. She also confirmed that the separate fraud investigation identified four Chicago residents and that the two investigations involve different groups of suspects.
The developments come more than two months after four masked burglars smashed their way into Goldenrod City Collectibles, located at 120 S. Lake Ave., shortly after 2 a.m. on August 10. Kenosha County Eye first reported the burglary that morning, when police estimated the stolen merchandise was worth more than $200,000. Subsequent criminal complaints place the value of the stolen merchandise at approximately $310,453.64, with another $5,964.66 in property damage.
Masked Burglars Smash Display Cases, Steal Hundreds Of Thousands In Collectibles
According to criminal complaints filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court, four masked individuals broke into the business through a window and used bolt cutters to smash four display cases containing valuable Pokémon cards, professionally graded trading cards and other collectibles. Investigators allege the group stole merchandise and cash before also burglarizing a trailer located behind the store.
Surveillance footage captured portions of the burglary and helped investigators identify vehicles believed to have been involved, including a white Chrysler Pacifica and a BMW. Twin Lakes police initially appealed to the public for information about the vehicles and any surveillance footage that might help identify the suspects.
Investigators eventually developed evidence involving vehicle rental records, GPS information, telephone records, fingerprints, surveillance footage and identifying physical characteristics. The investigation also examined possible connections to a similar trading-card store burglary in Des Moines, Iowa. Police worked with other law enforcement agencies to follow leads extending beyond Wisconsin.
The investigation resulted in six criminal charges against each of five men: a 45-year-old Chicago man, a 30-year-old Chicago man, a 34-year-old man from Justice, Illinois, a 36-year-old Chicago man and a 32-year-old Chicago man. The charges include two counts of felony burglary, felony theft exceeding $100,000, possession of burglarious tools, felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanor criminal damage to property.
All five defendants are charged as parties to a crime. That designation allows prosecutors to pursue criminal responsibility against individuals accused of participating in, assisting or facilitating the offenses, even if they did not personally commit every act described in the complaint. The 36-year-old Chicago defendant also faces repeat-offender penalty enhancers on all six charges.
Judge’s $500,000 Arrest Warrant Followed By $50,000 Cash Bail
One of the burglary defendants, a 45-year-old Chicago man, remained in custody as of October 14 after Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum set his cash bail at $50,000. Judge Angelina Gabriele issued a $500,000 arrest warrant on September 11, but Kellum set cash bail at just $50,000 during the defendant’s September 21 initial appearance. The $50,000 figure represents a 90% reduction from the amount specified on the original arrest warrant, although an arrest warrant amount and cash bail set at an initial appearance are distinct court determinations.
Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis personally appeared for the prosecution during the September 21 hearing. The defendant was in custody and represented at that appearance by attorney Seth Johnson. Kellum imposed conditions prohibiting contact with the business, its representative and certain codefendants.
The defendant remained in custody during a September 30 court appearance and again during an October 14 hearing before Kellum. At the October 14 hearing, he appeared with private attorney Patrick Cafferty, while Assistant District Attorney Anthony Schmitz represented the prosecution. Kellum continued the $50,000 cash bail, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 21 at 10:30 a.m.
Court records for the other four burglary defendants show arrest warrants issued in September, with amended complaints subsequently filed in certain cases. The cases remain pending in Kenosha County Circuit Court, although the available docket information does not independently establish the current custody status of every defendant.
Separate Fraud Scheme Targeted Same Business Days Later
While the burglary investigation was underway, Goldenrod City Collectibles was targeted in a separate alleged financial fraud scheme on August 18 and August 20. Investigators say individuals used false identities and financial transaction cards to obtain expensive Pokémon merchandise, with the transactions later disputed or reversed, leaving the business without the merchandise or payment.
Police identified four Chicago residents in connection with the fraud investigation. Two have been criminally charged in Kenosha County, while allegations involving two additional individuals have been referred to the district attorney’s office for review. According to Chief Hall, one of the additional referrals involves a potential felony charge, while the other involves a potential misdemeanor.
One of the charged defendants is Allen K. Jones, 31, of Chicago, who faces a Class I felony count of fraudulent use of a financial transaction card involving more than $2,500 but not more than $5,000. The complaint alleges Jones used the name “Cody Grieve” during transactions at the business, while another individual allegedly used the name “Wayne Hill.”
The merchandise involved included several valuable professionally graded Pokémon cards, including a Ninetales Shadowless card priced at $2,500, a Charizard Shadowless card priced at $3,200 and a Gengar Fossil card priced at $800, before taxes. Investigators allege the purchases were subsequently disputed, resulting in financial losses to the business.
According to the complaint, investigators used surveillance footage, vehicle information, social-media connections and assistance from law enforcement agencies in Illinois to identify the suspects. A black Chevrolet Impala registered to Jones was among the vehicles examined during the investigation, and authorities also reviewed information from other police departments investigating similar allegations.
A second defendant, a 29-year-old Chicago man, has been charged with misdemeanor fraudulent use of a financial transaction card involving $2,500 or less. An arrest warrant was issued for him on October 2. The identities of the remaining individuals referred for possible prosecution have not been publicly released by police.
Felony Fraud Defendant Posts $5,000 Cash Bail
Jones appeared in Kenosha County Circuit Court on October 9, when $5,000 cash bail was set. Court records show that $4,000 was posted toward his bail on October 13, followed by another $1,000 that same day, satisfying the full cash bail amount.
Conditions of Jones’ bail prohibit him from contacting Goldenrod City Collectibles, a representative of the business and his codefendant. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 16 at 8:30 a.m. in Kenosha County Circuit Court.
Jones is also the subject of a separate Wisconsin fugitive case arising from two Class 3 felony theft charges filed in Lake County, Illinois. That proceeding is separate from the Twin Lakes financial transaction card fraud charge.
Twin Lakes Police Continue Working With Illinois Authorities
Twin Lakes Police Chief Katie Hall said investigators worked closely with multiple law enforcement agencies in Illinois to identify suspects, develop evidence and pursue criminal charges. The investigations required coordination across state lines because the individuals identified by police were primarily from the Chicago area.
The burglary investigation remains active, with suspects identified, arrests made and additional criminal charges pursued. The fraud investigation has also produced criminal referrals beyond the two cases already filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court, and prosecutors may consider additional charges as investigators complete their work.
Although both investigations involve the same business and valuable Pokémon merchandise, police have emphasized that they are separate cases involving different suspects. There has been no allegation in the materials reviewed by Kenosha County Eye that the burglary defendants and fraud defendants were working together.
Anyone with information about the August 10 burglary is encouraged to contact the Twin Lakes Police Department at 262-877-9056 and reference case number 26-009511. Both investigations remain active, and additional criminal charges are possible as law enforcement continues its work across state lines.
