If there’s a person who has been mentioned in more arrest reports on CWBChicago than Marcell Townsend, we’d be hard-pressed to name them.
Time after time, Townsend has been arrested in the Wrigleyville area where he frequently sells drugs to bar hoppers, according to police. In 2016, we even published a spreadsheet of Townsend’s arrests.
| Case | Date | Address of Arrest | Charges | Allegation | Disposition |
| HR707894 | 12/27/2009 | 7300 S. Kingston | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HS586457 | 10/28/2010 | 7100 S. Jeffrey | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HT330518 | 6/4/2011 | 7200 S. Exchange | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV188427 | 3/8/2012 | 69th Street Red Line Platform | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV188427 | 3/8/2012 | 69th Street Red Line Platform | Soliciting on CTA | Not Available | Stricken |
| HV572097 | 11/21/2012 | 1200 S. Independence | Cannabis | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HV572097 | 11/21/2012 | 1200 S. Independence | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW110817 | 1/9/2013 | 100 W. 109th | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| Not Available | 4/7/2013 | Not Available | Possession of Controlled Substance | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW194297 | 3/22/2014 | 3300 N. Clark | Battery | Per the police report, a man told police that Townsend became enraged during a verbal altercation and punched the man in the face. During a custody search, police found a clear baggie containing two smaller bags of suspected cocaine protruding from Townsend’s waistband | Victim did not appear. Stricken |
| HW194297 | 3/22/2014 | 3300 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance | Per the police report, a man told police that Townsend became enraged during a verbal altercation and punched the man in the face. During a custody search, police found a clear baggie containing two smaller bags of suspected cocaine protruding from Townsend’s waistband | Dropped by state |
| HW587475 | 12/29/2013 | 3525 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HW587475 | 12/29/2013 | 3525 N. Clark | Cannabis | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HX109544 | 1/10/2014 | 7400 S. Exchange | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HX319205 | 6/26/2014 | 3230 N. Wilton | Theft | Per police report: A man flagged down officers near the Belmont Red Line station and said his friend’s phone had just been stolen by a man who fled into a nearby alley. Officers entered the alley and saw Townsend toss an object onto the ground. Townsend was detained and officers determined the object to be the victim’s iPhone. Townsend was positively identified by the victim as the person who snatched her phone from her hand. | Stricken |
| HX435628 | 9/24/2014 | 6259 S. Indiana | Criminal Trespass to Vehicle | Per police report: Townsend ran a stop sign at 6300 S. Prairie. Police ran the plate and found the vehicle had been reported stolen from the 900 block of W. Addison. | Stricken |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance (2 counts) | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Dropped by state |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Cannabis | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Stricken |
| HX548816 | 12/19/2014 | 3702 N. Clark | Theft | According to court complaints, Townsend was accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone. Arresting officers found a Ziploc bag containing suspect cocaine and a plastic bag containing smaller bags of suspect marijuana. | Sentenced to 18 years court supervision on January 14, 2015 |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Possession of Controlled Substance | Not Available | Dropped by state |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Cannabis | Not Available | Stricken |
| HY174648 | 3/6/2015 | 3507 N. Clark | Soliciting An Unlawful Business | Not Available | Thrown out by judge (Non Suited) |
| HY300853 | 6/13/2015 | 3400 N. Sheffield | Unlawful Possession of Motor Vehicle | Per police report: Officers at a Mobil station in the 1200 block of N. Halsted heard Townsend ask the clerk for $10 worth of gas, then exit the store and walk past the vehicle that he bought gas for. Suspicious of his conduct, officers ran the vehicle plate and it came back stolen. Townsend was stopped. He told the officers that a guy named “Ralph” at the Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville gave him the vehicle to use. When officers asked where the vehicle’s keys were, Townsend said “I don’t want no trouble. I threw them behind the fence by the bus stop.” Officers went to that location and found the vehicle’s keys. | Guilty plea. 2 years probation. |
| HY500782 | 11/14/2015 | 1053 W. Addison | Theft | From court records: Townsend and his brother, Zikee, were accused of taking a Texas man’s debit card and $20 as the victim used an ATM near Addison and Racine in Wrigleyville. | Victim, a resident of Texas did not appear in court. Stricken. |
| Case | Date | Address of Arrest | Charges | Allegation | Disposition |
Guess what? Marcell Townsend has been arrested in Wrigleyville again. He’s charged with felony theft and felony robbery this time. (We know, it’s a stunner.)
Here’s what allegedly happened this time:
Early last Sunday morning, police were flagged down by two suburban men in the 3500 block of North Clark. One of the men told police that he was approached by Townsend who took the victim’s phone without permission and then accessed the man’s Venmo account. Venmo is an app that lets you make payments to people and businesses.
According to the victim, Townsend transferred $950 from the victim’s bank to Townsend’s own account. Townsend then gave the man his phone back and left, the victim said.
The victim showed police the Venmo app on his phone and officers verified that $950 had been transferred to Marcell Townsend, “a known offender” that they had just seen up the street, according to their report.
Townsend was stopped in the 3600 block of North Clark and he immediately promised to transfer all of the money back if the victims would not press charges.
But, darn the luck, Townsend had “technical issues with his Venmo,” police said.
Townsend, age 26, was arrested. Again.
Judge David Navarro set his bail at $5,000. So far, Townsend has been unable to come up with the $500 he needs to bail out. He’s due back in court on Tuesday.
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