Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed charges against several individuals, including members of a Bloomington, Illinois family, for allegedly conducting an organized retail crime operation through Monster Pawn locations in Central Illinois. The charged individuals include Edwin Pierce, 65; Kathleen Pierce, 58; and their son Everson Pierce, 28. These charges are the result of a multijurisdictional investigation by Raoul’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force.
The investigation was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Illinois Department of Revenue Criminal Investigations Division, and police departments from Bloomington, Chatham, and Springfield. According to Raoul's office, the defendants operated the alleged crime enterprise between November 2023 and July 2024 at various Monster Pawn locations in Springfield, Bloomington, and Normal.
“Organized retail crime takes many forms and is not limited to any one type of business or region of Illinois. Illinois residents should be able to trust businesses in their communities to operate in accordance with the law and that the goods and services customers purchase from businesses were procured legally,” Raoul stated. “These charges demonstrate the importance of the collaborative work that my office’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force is doing.”
Raoul alleges that the Pierces collaborated with store managers and employees to acquire new merchandise purportedly stolen from retail stores at prices below market value. The items included televisions, tools, and video game equipment which were then sold online.
Charges against Kathleen Pierce include three misdemeanor counts of theft under $500. Edwin Pierce faces multiple charges including organizing a continuing financial crimes enterprise (a Class X felony), managing organized retail crime (a Class 2 felony), thefts ranging from $500 to $10,000 (Class 3 felonies), solicitation of theft, and money laundering.
Everson Pierce is charged with seven misdemeanor counts of theft under $500 as well as organizing a continuing financial crimes enterprise (a Class X felony), managing organized retail crime (a Class 2 felony), thefts between $500 and $10,000 (Class 3 felonies), and money laundering.
Other individuals charged include Thomas O’Donnell from Normal; Steven Mileham from Springfield; Jessica Cloyd from Mechanicsburg; and Carter Walker from Chatham. They face various counts related to thefts between $500 and $10,000 as well as misdemeanors for theft under $500.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Sentences will ultimately be determined by the court if convictions occur.
The Organized Retail Crime Task Force established by Attorney General Raoul aims to improve cooperation among retailers, online marketplaces, law enforcement agencies, and state attorneys targeting such criminal enterprises across Illinois. It leverages data sharing across jurisdictions for effective investigation into these crimes.
In support of these efforts against organized retail crime statewide legislation was enacted defining such activities within state law providing oversight on online marketplaces while establishing mechanisms for identity verification for high-volume sellers thereby reducing avenues for selling stolen goods illegally.
Assistant Attorney Generals Gregg Gansmann and Thomas Darman are handling prosecutions under Raoul’s Statewide Grand Jury Bureau focusing on multi-county cases involving drugs guns organized retail crime or money laundering often coordinating closely with federal agencies tackling large-scale criminal activity.