Joliet man accused of possessing stolen tractor, vehicles

A Joliet man who resides in the northeast part of the city was arrested after officers found 11 stolen vehicles, a stolen trailer and a stolen tractor on his property, police said.

Officers with the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force executed a search warrant Thursday in the 1500 block of California Avenue, which is close to the border of the Fairmont neighborhood in Lockport Township.

Officers with the Joliet Police Department assisted with the search warrant.

During the investigation, officers found 30 vehicles in the rear of the residence and learned that the backyard was used as an automotive salvage yard, Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

Facebook Marketplace was the platform for selling automotive parts, English said.

Officers found 11 stolen vehicles, a stolen trailer and a stolen tractor, English said. Officers also found devices commonly used to roll back odometers and program new keys, he said.

Oluwafemi Malachi, 38, was identified by police as the property owner.

Malachi was arrested on a charge of aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle, English said.

Malachi was booked at the police department and then released with a notice to appear at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.

Another investigation by the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force led to the Kankakee County arrest of Ethan Smith, 20, of Kankakee, on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle.

Smith has been suspected of several other vehicle thefts in Kankakee, according to the task force.

In 2021, former Joliet City Manager James Capparelli, who has been named as a defendant in two federal lawsuits, had pushed for the city’s withdrawal from the task force. Capparelli cited staffing needs for the police department.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow successfully petitioned against Capparelli’s decision.

At the time, Glasgow told city officials, “You’d basically be shooting yourself in the foot for a million bucks if you walk away from this.”