Two twin brothers from Round Lake were sentenced to four years in prison for stealing almost $1 million worth of products from Home Depot stores in Lake County and numerous states.
Michael Miotke, 45, of Round Lake, was charged with nearly 70 different charges in DuPage County Circuit Court, records show.
John Miotke, 45, of Round Lake, was charged with almost 20 different charges.
The charges against the two included theft, retail theft, continuing financial crimes enterprise and burglary.
At the time of the Miotkes arrest in October 2019, DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney Diane Michalak said Home Depot suspected the two had stolen from Home Depot stores in 20 states, the Daily Herald reported.
Michalak said the brothers were suspected of making fraudulent returns of 313 cases of vinyl flooring, 238 pressure washers, 164 snow blowers and 237 lawn mowers.
Court documents show John Miotke and Michael Miotke would buy products and put them in their car before heading back into the Home Depot store, choosing those same purchased products and returning them with the receipt from the legitimate purchase, the Daily Herald reported.
In Lake County, Home Depot stores where the thefts happened included Lake Zurich, Mundelein, Gurnee and Ingleside.
The two entered into a negotiated plea deal with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, court records show.
In exchange for guilty pleas to one count of continuing financial crimes enterprise, prosecutors dismissed the rest of their charges.
The two were sentenced on Monday to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
John Miotke and Michael Miotke were ordered to pay over $930,000 in restitution to Home Depot, which is what the company reported the two men had stolen from stores in 24 states, the Daily Herald reported.
The two remain held in the DuPage County Jail awaiting transport to a state prison.