Chicago:
The head of a suburban Chicago family accused of stealing USD 7 million in goods in a decade-long shoplifting spree will stay in jail because he is a flight risk, a federal judge ruled on Monday.
Branko Bogdanov, his wife and his daughter allegedly operated in tandem to pilfer merchandise, then have it sold on eBay. They were arrested last week at their spacious home in a wealthy Chicago neighbourhood of Northbrook.
Bogdanov, 58, emigrated in 1973 from the former Yugoslavia and is in the United States illegally.
He's been arrested 16 times and convicted six times, including for shoplifting, prosecutor Renato Mariotti said at a detention hearing.
If convicted of the one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
"This defendant has nothing to lose," Mariotti said. "I think if you let him go... he'll disappear."
Mariotti said Bogdanov owns his USD 1.3 million house and 12 vehicles, including a Lexus and a Corvette.
Defence lawyer Forrest Tatel argued for his client's release, saying the elder Bogdanov has five US-born children and maintains close ties to the Chicago area, where he has spent most of his life.
Bogdanov, his 52-year-old wife, Lela Bogdanov and their 34-year-old daughter, Julia Bogdanov, are all charged with the same stolen property count.