Man Poses as Exterminator to Steal from Elderly Couple in Chicago
CHICAGO — Prosecutors have charged a man with posing as an exterminator to steal property from an elderly couple’s home on the Far North Side. This type of crime, known as “ruse burglary,” involves perpetrators pretending to be service workers to gain access to homes, often targeting senior citizens who may be more vulnerable to deception.
According to Chicago police, Michael Ely, 47, pretended to be a pest control technician hired by the city to spray a home in the 6200 block of North St. Louis on March 19. The victims, an 85-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman, later discovered that their jewelry and approximately $5,500 in cash were missing after Ely had left.
After reviewing surveillance footage from a neighbor and circulating images from the video, Skokie Police Department detective recognized Ely, leading to his arrest. Ely’s truck, resembling the vehicle seen at the burglary, was impounded by police.
During a court appearance, Judge Antara Rivera ordered Ely to be detained pending trial on a burglary charge. Records indicate that Ely had previously received probation in May 2024 for pleading guilty to burglary and a weapons charge in a separate incident.
In that case, Ely was caught leaving a neighbor’s home with a safe in the 6000 block of South Rutherford in May 2023. When confronted by a neighbor, Ely allegedly brandished a gun before fleeing the scene.
Ely has faced charges of burglary and attempted burglary multiple times since 2008, although many of these cases were dropped by prosecutors or reduced to theft charges. None of these previous charges resulted in a prison sentence for Ely.
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