CHICAGO — Police are still looking for two men who they say took over property they didn't own, acting as landlords or squatters and saying they aren't subject to U.S. laws.
Police said Raymond Trimble, 51, and his son, Arshad Thomas, 26, were part of property ownership and/or takeover operations where homes were taken over and illegally occupied. The men are self-proclaimed members of the "Sovereign Citizen" movement and do not think they are subject to the U.S. government and its laws, police said. Police issued a community alert about the men on Tuesday.
Police charged Trimble, Thomas, Torrez Moore, 55, and David Farr, 45, with theft, burglary and other charges for their role in illegally occupying more than a dozen single-family homes last week. Moore and Farr were arrested, but Trimble and Thomas are still at large.
Before the charges, Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) said squatters were moving into vacant homes in Beverly and Morgan Park and signing up for utilities at the properties, according to a July 1 DNAinfo article. There appeared to be a person in Beverly serving as a pseudo-landlord to the illegally occupied properties, O'Shea said.
"As of this morning, we are happy to report that all of these properties are now vacant and secure," O'Shea said in an email last week to constituents after Trimble, Thomas, Moore and Farr were charged.
Prosecutors said Moore and Farr also consider themselves to be part of the "Sovereign Citizen" movement and think they are the owners of the homes they rented or squatted in, according to a July 1 DNAinfo article.
Police asked anyone with information about Trimble or Thomas to call police at 312-746-9661.
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