This Week in Stupid

By Matt Wood in News on Mar 23, 2007 3:20PM

Hot property edition: sometimes, stolen goods just have a way of finding their way back home. Usually this is due to the theives themselves; they wouldn't necessarily be in that business if they had good judgment. But if you just can't wait to get your prized possessions back, you can always tell the cops your children were kidnapped. That seems like a good idea.

A southwest suburban Lyons man was having a bad day last Sunday because someone stole his car stereo. Jason Richards was drowning his sorrows at a bar just a block away from his home when a man approached him, asking if he was interested in some power tools, and--whaddya know--a car stereo. Richads realized it was his missing stereo, played it straight, and occupied the thief, William Adent of Chicago, long enough to tell someone to call the police. Five minutes later, police arrived and arrested Adent, and Richards had his stereo back.

On Monday morning, a Chicago man was carjacked near 66th and Indiana, and told the police that his children were still inside the stolen car. But his kids were actaully safe at home; he lied to police because the car had expensive rims and he wanted them to find it quickly. He was arrested for filing a false police report; no word on whether police have found his ride or not.

Finally, we know identity theft is all the rage with the smart criminals these days, but if you're going to do it, don't rip off your boss, especially if he's a cop. On Monday, Colleen Crafton, a former Will County Sheriff's Department secretary was charged with stealing the identity of a deputy she worked for, used it to falsely obtain a credit card, then charged nearly $15,000 in cash advances.