Entire family busted for $7 MILLION shop-lifting spree: Mother, father and daughter 'used specially designed skirts to pocket thousands of stolen items which they then sold to fund millionaire lifestyles'

  • Branko Bogdanov, 58, his wife Lela, 52, and daughter Julia, 34, stole thousands of items over a period of ten years, according to police
  • The family, who live in an upmarket Chicago suburb, allegedly made $7MILLION over that period
  • Julia allegedly wore a custom-made skirt with several pockets to hide items in, according to police her dresses looked 'noticibly fuller' when she was captured leaving stores on CCTV
  • The family allegedly stole toys, cosmetics and other valuables

By Associated Press

PUBLISHED: 14:30 EST, 6 March 2014 | UPDATED: 14:43 EST, 6 March 2014

Arrested: Branko Bogdanov has been detained alongside his wife and daughter over an alleged $7 million shoplifting scheme

Arrested: Branko Bogdanov has been detained alongside his wife and daughter over an alleged $7 million shoplifting scheme

A father, mother and daughter from a posh Chicago suburb stole $7 million in merchandise during a decadelong shoplifting spree — traveling to stores nationwide and targeting dolls, toys, cosmetics and other valuables — according to a federal complaint released Wednesday.

The three were arrested earlier this week at their $1.3 million Northbrook home after returning from a three-day trip through Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, where authorities say they shoplifted from stores.

Working in tandem, the family traveled from their Chicago-area residence to hit businesses in multiple states, including Maryland, Tennessee and Florida, according to the 20-page complaint.

Branko Bogdanov, 58, Lela Bogdanov, 52, and their 34-year-old daughter, Julia Bogdanov, are charged with one count each of interstate transportation of stolen property.

They made initial appearances Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, but did not enter pleas; they'll be held at least until a detention hearing next week. Someone who answered a phone at their Northbrook residence declined any comment

Lela Bogdanov frequently donned a long black skirt with large compartments sewn on the inside during the alleged shoplifting binges and was caught on surveillance cameras leaving some stores with her skirt looking notably fuller than when she entered, the complaint says.

Standing in orange jail clothes Wednesday in federal court, Lela Bogdanov wiped away tears as U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason explained her rights. She followed the proceedings through a Romani interpreter.

Ill-gotten gains? The family's $1.3 million Chicago home was allegedly funded by their epic crime spree

Ill-gotten gains? The family's $1.3 million Chicago home was allegedly funded by their epic crime spree

An unnamed cooperating witness bought many of the stolen items — which included everything from American Girl dolls and Furby robotic toys to coffee and steak knives — at the Bogdanov home, then sold them online through eBay, the complaint says.

On their own, Bogdanovs directly sold more than $690,000 in merchandise through eBay, the complaint says.

 

More...

The United States Secret Service led the investigation after Barnes and Noble Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. contacted the agency about what the complaint describes as 'a huge loss in merchandise'.

With the help of those companies and eBay, authorities traced stolen items to an the online trading account of the cooperating witnesses, who, in turn, agreed to help in the investigation of the Bogdanovs.

Sold online: The family allegedly sold items they stole over the internet on sites such as ebay

Sold online: The family allegedly sold items they stole over the internet on sites such as ebay

Speaking to reporters later Wednesday, the head of the Secret Service office in Chicago, Frank P. Benedetto, said large-scale shoplifting ultimately hurts both stores and their consumers.

'If this type of crime continues unchecked, the costs ... will be passed from the retailer to the common shopper,' he said.

A conviction on the one count of interstate transportation of stolen property carries sentence of up to 10 years.

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The Intetepter explains it all

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I assume they stole the steak knives to sweeten their ebay deals for the hot stuff.

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Just send all these people home.

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"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"...............and you are welcome to rip us off while you are here.

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Ten years in the country and they still claim they can't speak English. How convenient.

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Northbrook is OK, but compared to other suburban areas, I wouldn't call it "posh". Strange choice for a family business, though. I'd imagine their neighbors are pretty shocked.

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What a disgusting group of people! As an eBay shopper, I would like to know how they are registered and under what name they sold their "goods".

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They're professionals. It's nothing more than a crime syndicate.

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Its says what group their from

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So.. now everyone knows those specific stores have next to nothing in terms of security...

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If you do something long enough, eventually you'll get caught.

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