Executive Summary
- Two Illinois men face felony disorderly conduct charges for filing a false report.
- Prosecutors allege the pair staged a robbery claiming $2 million in jewelry was stolen.
- Authorities confirmed the incident was fabricated after investigating the scene.
- State’s Attorney Robert Berlin emphasized the significant waste of police resources.
ELMHURST, Ill. — Two men from suburban Chicago are facing felony charges after authorities determined they staged an armed robbery involving approximately $2 million in jewelry, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that on Sunday at 6:27 p.m., Pezhman Gilani Yahyavi, 46, intentionally drove his vehicle off the roadway in Elmhurst. Following the maneuver, Mahmood Bashang, 30, reportedly contacted 911 to report a robbery. The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office stated that Bashang told dispatchers they were jewelry vendors returning from a trade show in Rosemont when three armed offenders stole between $1.5 million and $2 million in mostly 14-karat gold merchandise.
Following an investigation by the Elmhurst Police Department, officials concluded that the robbery never occurred. Both Yahyavi, of Glendale Heights, and Bashang, of Naperville, were subsequently charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false report.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin issued a statement condemning the alleged fabrication. “Filing a false police report, as alleged in this case, not only wastes critical law enforcement resources, but can result in innocent individuals being wrongfully arrested and charged,” Berlin said. He noted that significant time and energy were dedicated to investigating what was initially believed to be a major multi-million-dollar crime.
Both defendants were released following their initial court appearance and are scheduled to return to court on March 23. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Impact on Law Enforcement
Cases involving false reporting of high-value felonies present substantial challenges for municipal police departments. Beyond the immediate diversion of patrol units and investigative personnel, such incidents can skew crime statistics and potentially elevate community anxiety regarding public safety. The rapid determination by investigators that the event was staged allowed the Elmhurst Police Department to redirect resources back to genuine public safety needs, highlighting the importance of forensic verification in initial crime reports.
