Police are asking people who been the victims of construction equipment thefts recently to go to the Austin District police station in the next two days to possibly reclaim belongings after investigators said they found $1 million in stolen goods at a neighborhood man’s home.
Jerome Brown, 53, of the 5600 block of West Augusta Boulevard, was arrested on his block June 30 and charged with theft of up to $10,000 worth of goods, possession of 10 to 30 grams of marijuana and possessing a firearm without a valid state identification card, according to court and police records.
Police suspect Brown “operated a fencing operation specializing in power tool and construction equipment,” said department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Investigators with the Asset Forfeiture Unit received information that Brown had been selling stolen items out of his home, and used undercover officers to confirm the information and obtain a search warrant, according to a news release.
The day of his arrest, the police department’s Organized Crime Division executed search warrants at Brown’s home and found “a very significant amount of stolen tools from construction sites,” Guglielmi said. Brown admitted to selling stolen goods from his home for a decade, police said in the release.
Police found “three handguns and an overwhelming amount of suspected stolen merchandise with an approximate value of $750,000 to” $1 million, he said. The stolen goods include bicycles, landscaping equipment, commercial-grade tools and a large number of ladders.
The home was inspected by the city Buildings Department and closed for dangerous conditions, police said. Brown and his wife were the target of a foreclosure lawsuit in 2012, but he is still listed as the home’s owner, according to county records. Brown was ordered held in lieu of $15,000 bail July 2, and has been released on bond, according to records. He is due back in court July 25.
Anyone who suspects their belongings might have been among those found at Brown’s house is welcome to come to the Austin District Police Station, 5701 W. Madison St., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Anyone seeking to reclaim their property should bring identification and anything that would help identify the items, such as a copy of a police report, proof of purchase, photos or videos.