Twin Lakes police on Wednesday, November 11, publicly released the names of the five Illinois men charged in the August 10 burglary of Goldenrod City Collectibles — a smash-and-grab that took about $310,000 in Pokémon cards and other merchandise — and revealed new theft allegations against the store’s recently fired manager. Police Chief Katie Hall issued the update in a press release, according to Kenosha County Eye, which had withheld the suspects’ identities at the request of the Twin Lakes Police Department and the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office while investigators worked to find the men. Two of the five have been arrested — one remains in custody and one was released on bond — while three are still wanted on active warrants.
Source: Kenosha County Eye
The release is the new development in a case this story has followed in stages: the five men were charged in October, when their names were withheld for investigative reasons. Wednesday’s announcement names them, sets out who is in custody and who is still being sought, and adds a second strand — police say the store’s fired manager, Allan A. Aguilar, 31, of Kenosha, is now accused of stealing nearly $15,000 in merchandise from the same business, on top of a separate charge that he stole $53,575 from another Twin Lakes collectibles shop where he previously worked. Police emphasised that Aguilar has not been identified as a suspect in the August burglary and that no connection between him and that crime has been established.
The August 10 burglary
According to criminal complaints filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court, four masked individuals broke into Goldenrod City Collectibles, at 120 S. Lake Ave. in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, at approximately 2 a.m. on August 10. The burglars allegedly smashed a window to enter and used bolt cutters to destroy four display cases holding valuable Pokémon cards, professionally graded trading cards and other collectibles. Investigators allege the group stole merchandise and cash and also burglarised a trailer behind the store. Initial estimates placed the loss above $200,000; investigative records later fixed it at $310,453.64 in stolen merchandise and $5,964.66 in damage.
Surveillance footage captured portions of the burglary and helped investigators identify vehicles believed to be involved, including a rented white Chrysler Pacifica and a BMW. Investigators developed evidence through vehicle rental records, GPS information, cellular telephone records, fingerprints, surveillance recordings and identifying physical characteristics. Authorities executed a search warrant at a residence in Justice, Illinois, where they recovered evidence associated with the burglary, including Pokémon merchandise, and developed information about potentially related collectible-store burglaries in other states, including Iowa. Chief Hall said the investigation required extensive coordination between Wisconsin and Illinois law-enforcement agencies and remains active.
The five men: one in custody, one on bond, three wanted
Namon N. Smith, 45, of Chicago, was arrested and remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail. He faces six criminal charges, including two counts of felony burglary, felony theft exceeding $100,000, possession of burglarious tools, felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanour criminal damage to property. Donald J. Harris, 36, of Chicago, was also arrested but was subsequently released on bond; he faces the same six underlying charges, with repeat-offender penalty enhancers attached to each count.
Three men remain wanted on active arrest warrants: Steve Harris, 34, of Justice, Illinois, who faces six charges including felony theft exceeding $100,000 and two felony burglary counts; Jessie M. Williams, 30, of Chicago, who faces six charges including three Class F felonies, two Class I felonies and one Class A misdemeanour; and Travis S. Thomas, 32, of Chicago, who faces six criminal charges stemming from the burglary. All five defendants are charged as parties to a crime — a Wisconsin designation that lets prosecutors pursue responsibility against people accused of aiding, abetting or participating in an offence even if they did not personally carry out every act alleged. All charges are allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Court records show Judge Angelina Gabriele authorised a $500,000 arrest warrant for Smith on September 11. After Smith was taken into custody, Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel Kellum set his cash bail at $50,000 at his September 21 initial appearance, where District Attorney Xavier Solis personally appeared for the prosecution and conditions barred Smith from contact with Goldenrod City Collectibles, a representative of the business and certain co-defendants. Smith remained in custody through an October 14 hearing, at which the $50,000 cash bail was continued.
The fired manager: two separate theft cases
Goldenrod’s owners announced on Tuesday, November 10, that manager Allan A. Aguilar had been terminated after allegedly stealing a collectible card valued at approximately $4,500. Police now say the suspected thefts from Goldenrod involve Pokémon cards and other merchandise valued at approximately $14,975. No criminal charges have yet been filed over the Goldenrod allegations; police said investigators are still gathering evidence and additional charges are anticipated after review by the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office. The Wisco Wire independently reported the firing and the owners’ account of the $4,500 card allegation.
Source: The Wisco Wire
The second case is already in court. Aguilar was charged with stealing $53,575 from BS Collectibles, formerly located at 517 N. Lake Ave. in Twin Lakes, where he worked from March through October 2024. According to the criminal complaint, he received money through PayPal to purchase inventory for the business but allegedly kept the funds himself; investigators say he admitted taking the money and entered a repayment agreement of $200 every Friday, then allegedly stopped paying and stopped responding, after which the owners contacted police. A Twin Lakes officer, assisted by Kenosha police, took him into custody at his Kenosha residence on November 7. He appeared in court on November 9 before Commissioner Kellum, who authorised his release on no-cash bail. He faces one Class G felony count of theft in a business setting, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 24 before Judge Jodi L. Meier.
The Goldenrod owners said investigators were examining whether Aguilar may have had any involvement in the August 10 burglary. Twin Lakes police addressed that directly on Wednesday: Aguilar has NOT been identified as a suspect in the $310,000 burglary, investigators are still examining available information, and no connection has been established. His alleged thefts are being investigated separately from the five-man burglary prosecution.
A separate fraud investigation at the same store
Police have also investigated fraudulent transactions at Goldenrod on August 18 and August 20, and on Wednesday identified four Chicago residents in that separate case: Allen K. Jones, 31; Amari D. Brown, 29; Jalen R. Edwards, 24; and Evan B. Williams, 29. Jones, Brown and Edwards were identified in connection with felony fraudulent use of a financial transaction card; Williams in connection with a misdemeanour count. Complaints allege false identities and cards were used to obtain expensive Pokémon merchandise that was later disputed or reversed, including professionally graded cards priced at $3,200 (Charizard), $2,500 (Ninetales) and $800 (Gengar). Jones appeared in court on October 9, when $5,000 cash bail was set and posted on October 13; he also faces a separate Wisconsin fugitive proceeding involving theft charges filed in Lake County, Illinois. Police emphasised the fraud investigation is separate from the burglary and that no connection between the two groups has been established.
“I am extremely proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by the members of our department throughout these investigations. These cases have required countless hours of investigative work, extensive coordination with other agencies, and a tremendous commitment from our personnel,” Chief Hall said. What happens next: officers continue working to locate the three wanted burglary defendants; Aguilar’s preliminary hearing in the $53,575 case is set for November 24; and prosecutors are reviewing possible charges in the alleged $14,975 Goldenrod thefts. The department said additional information may be released as investigators complete their work.