Federal prosecutors in Chicago are taking over a carjacking case in which an 18-year-old man is accused of hijacking a Lyft driver’s car in the Loop after ordering a ride using the name “Moneybagg Uzi.” Cook County prosecutors charged Noah Ransom in the spring. Now, he’s going to the big time.
Around 4 a.m. on April 9, “Moneybagg Uzi” ordered a ride from the Embassy Suites hotel, 600 North State, to 201 South State in the Loop. The 37-year-old Lyft driver told police that when he arrived to pick up “Moneybagg Uzi,” five men, including Ransom, got into his Lexus RX350, according to federal prosecutors.
As they headed into the Loop, Ransom allegedly pulled out a gun and told the driver, “Don’t try any funny business. Stop, put your seat back, and get out of the car.”
The driver pulled over in front of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 South Michigan, and got out. Ransom slid behind the wheel and drove away with the other four, prosecutors allege.
Illinois State Police troopers spotted the stolen SUV on the Dan Ryan Expressway and engaged in a lengthy pursuit that reached speeds over 120 MPH until they forced it to stop around 6:10 a.m. near Jackson and Aberdeen in the West Loop.
ISP, CPD, and UIC police officers took the car’s occupants into custody. Ransom was driving the vehicle, and police found a loaded handgun with an extended magazine lying on the ground outside the driver’s door that he fled from, prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors charged Ransom with carjacking and using a firearm during a violent crime. Hours after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago publicized the charges, the same office announced that a 21-year-old man who faced identical charges stemming from a 2020 hijacking received a federal prison term of 12 years, 7 months.
In April, state prosecutors also charged Ransom with committing another carjacking on the same Gold Coast block where Gov. JB Pritzker lives. That case has not moved to federal court, and it is unclear if the state will continue prosecuting it.