A 36-year-old Aurora man is accused of posing as a U.S. marshal to steal gasoline from a gas station on Aurora's West Side.
Jesus E. Avilas, 36, of the 300 block of East New York Street, was taken into custody Oct. 20, the day after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Aurora police secured a felony charge of impersonating a police officer through the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.
Avilas went into the gas station on the 1000 block of North Lake Street just after 7 a.m. Oct. 3 and asked the clerk to activate one of the pumps, according to charging documents. The pumps are pre-pay only, so the clerk hesitated, according to an Aurora police news release. Avilas is accused of then taking out a badge from his wallet, identifying himself as a federal marshal and telling the attendant his credit card was in his car.
The clerk activated the pump, and Avilas pumped about $37 worth of gasoline into his car, according to police.
Instead of paying, he took off westbound on Northpark Avenue, according to police.
The clerk noted the license plate and called police.
An Aurora police investigator assigned to the actual U.S. Marshal's Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force saw a car matching the description parked outside of the apartment building where Avilas lived. When Avilas went out to the car, he was taken into custody without incident, according to police.
Police searching Avilas' apartment found a badge similar to the one used in the gas station incident, along with several other pieces of police-related paraphernalia and a replica handgun, according to the news release.
In connection to the incident, Avilas is charged with false impersonation of a peace officer, a criminal felony, and theft worth less than $500, according to Kane County court records.
Avilas is booked in the Kane County jail, where his total bail for all charges has been set at $7,000, according to the jail's online detainee search listing.
He is next scheduled to appear for this case at 9 a.m. Nov. 4 in Room 313 of the Kane County courthouse in St. Charles.
Investigators believe Avilas may have tried similar ruses before and are asking anyone who may have been victimized or witnessed him impersonating an officer to contact Aurora police investigations at 630-256-5500.
In November 2014 in Kendall County, Avilas was charged with two counts of criminal sex assault using force, records show. Bail for that case had been set at $50,000, and Avilas quickly posted the $5,000 bond, records show. In September, the case was ordered continued via bench trial, and Avilas is next scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. Jan. 19 in Room 113 of the Kendall County courthouse in Yorkville in that matter.
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