Man charged with defrauding Chicago area T.J. Maxx stores out of more than $17,000
A Chicago man was charged this week with defrauding T.J. Maxx out of more than $17,000.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Wednesday that Neythyn Thompson, 46, was charged by his office in DuPage County Circuit Court with eight counts of wire fraud, five counts of forgery, and one count each of money laundering, use of a credit or debit card with intent to defraud, and theft.
Each count is a felony that carries several years in prison.
Raoul's office said Thompson bought high-end merchandise from T.J. Maxx discount department stores throughout Cook and DuPage counties, and then switched out the items for counterfeit products.
He then returned the inferior counterfeit products to the T.J. Maxx stores for a refund while keeping the original products, Raoul's office said.
The U.S. Secret Service helped investigate the case.