Gregory Cook Accused Of Stealing Christmas Gifts And Regifting To Own Family

A man in Cicero, Ill. allegedly stole Christmas gifts from two homes and then re-gifted the purloined presents to his own family and friends.

Police say Gregory Cook even installed a stolen ceiling fan in his own bedroom, but it was the credit cards he allegedly swiped that put the wind in the investigation, according to Newser.com.

It seems a surveillance camera at a Home Depot recorded Cook using the credit cards to buy merchandise he later returned for cash.

This M.O. might seem obvious to people who've seen "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," but it was a shock to Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel.

"This is the first time in my 27 years in law enforcement that I have come across a case in which a burglary suspect had stolen property from a home repackaged, re-wrapped with the intent to deliver them as new Christmas gifts to family and friends," he told the Chicago Tribune.

Cook was charged with two counts of residential burglary and was ordered held in lieu of $200,000, according to UPI.

Cook has eight prior convictions for burglary, police told WBBM-TV.