Police Find 16,000 Counterfeit CDs, DVDs At Store

UPDATED 12/15/11 6:46 am.

CHICAGO (STMW) - Police this week busted a small store on the city's West Side that was had thousands of bootleg CDs and DVDs in stock.

A 26-year-old West Side man and a 47-year-old Schaumburg man have been charged in connection with the operation, which netted 16,000 counterfeit media items.

A search warrant was executed by Austin District Tactical Officers on Tuesday at the store in the 0-99 block of North Keeler Avenue, a release from police said.

Police had learned that illegal recordings of movies currently playing in theaters and music CDs were being sold there, a release from police said.

After officers entered the store, a search revealed about 10,000 DVDs and 6,000 CDs of bootleg recordings, police said. Earnest Hunter, 26, was standing behind the counter and was arrested after he was discovered with keys to the store in his possession, police said.

Mova Chandler, 47, was inside the store carrying a backpack containing about 200 bootleg DVDs and CDs, the release said.

Hunter, of the 3200 block of West Douglas Boulevard, was charged with two counts of unlawful use of unidentified recordings. On Wednesday, he was ordered held on $25,000 bond and a preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 20, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Chandler, of the 900 block of Sagamore Drive in Schaumburg, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft/control of stolen property under $500. He will appear in Northwest Misdemeanor Court (Br. 23) on Feb. 14 of next year.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.