State police in Butler charged two Illinois men Feb. 19 with distracting the owner of a Summit Township skill games store before burglarizing it in 2023.

Cody Frank, 21, of Schaumburg, Ill., was charged with one felony count each of burglary and theft, and one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief; and Jason Leo Frank, 47, of Elmhurst, Ill., was charged with one felony conspiracy count each of burglary and theft related to the May 25, 2023, incident.

Police responded to a call for a distraction burglary at Poo’s Place, a skill games store, in which suspects stole around $15,250 in cash from the owner’s safe.

Police said Jason and Cody Frank completed a driveway sealing job across the street from the store along with a third unidentified man when one asked the owner to use the restroom. The owner took the three men across the street to use the business’s restroom, according to the affidavit.

Police said inside the store, the unidentified man began playing a skill game while Jason Frank asked the owner questions about the machines while Cody Frank used the restroom. According to the affidavit, Cody Frank unlocked a side door to the business when he went to use the restroom and waited outside for the others to leave before reentering the business.

Once the three were back across the street, Cody Frank used a pry bar and screwdriver to open the owner’s safe room and safe before taking about $15,250 in cash, according to the affidavit. Police said Cody Frank was then picked up by the other two men in a white Ford-F150.

The owner estimated damages at around $1,000, according to the affidavit.

Police used surveillance footage to track the vehicle back to its dealership, which linked the vehicle to Cody Frank’s wife. Police in Illinois said they had investigated multiple incidents related to Cody Frank and the vehicle.

Preliminary hearings for the two men have not yet been scheduled.