CHICAGO — Three men, including two on parole, are accused of stealing thousands of dollars by breaking into video gaming and lottery machines at Chicago businesses.
Investigators this week staked out the Logan Square residence of Samier Marogail, 34, after they linked a string of crimes to a vehicle registered in his name, according to court filings.
As the cops were watching his home on Monday, they learned that another break-in had just occurred at a Shell station in the 7100 block of North Sheridan. Three people played video games at the station from 7 a.m. until 11:15 a.m., winning about $4,000 along the way, a Chicago police report stated.
When they were done playing, the trio used two crowbars to break the gaming machines open and steal cash from inside, according to police.
Officers arrested Marogail, 35-year-old Yong Suk Lee, and 34-year-old Timothy Blaze when they returned to Marogail’s home in the 2000 block of North Milwaukee.
Prosecutors also charged Marogail and Lee with burglarizing a gaming redemption machine at Shell, 6400 West Belmont, of $5,681 on October 19. A CPD report said three men wearing ski masks walked into the station around 2:30 a.m. and two forced their way into the gaming machine safes while the third stood lookout. The two are also accused of stealing about $1,800 from a video gaming machine at Belford Tavern, 3200 North Pulaski, on Sunday.
Marogail is also charged with burglarizing a machine at a minimart in the 5700 block of West Fullerton on September 27 and taking $14,027 from the Shell station at 6400 West Belmont on August 16.
The Illinois Department of Corrections filed warrants against Marogail and Lee, keeping them in custody until officials review their parole status. Marogail was paroled in April on a two gun cases, and Lee was paroled in March for manufacture-delivery of cocaine in Kane County, according to IDOC records.
Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman released Blaze to await trial.
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