A man faces armed robbery and firearm charges after Chicago police detectives found an AirTag belonging to the victim near his home and video of him trying to use the victim’s stolen credit cards at a gas station, prosecutors said this week.
Judge Ankur Srivastava ordered Jonas Lee Jr., 21, detained after prosecutors presented the allegations during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
Prosecutors said the victim met Lee on the social media app BLK, which identifies itself as “a dating and lifestyle app for culture makers in the Black community.”
“We want you to feel safe here, like you’re at home,” the company’s promotional materials state.
BLK apparently fell short of that goal when Lee and the victim met in person for the first time around 9:15 p.m. on May 5 in the 3700 block of South Wabash.
Prosecutors said the victim drove to meet Lee, whose BLK username was “Lucky.” The men talked in the victim’s car for about 20 minutes before stepping out. In the middle of the street, the victim heard a gun cock and realized Lee was pointing a firearm at him, according to prosecutors.
Lee allegedly demanded the victim’s property, and the victim complied, handing over his iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and wallet. A witness who called 911 reported seeing the robbery unfold and hearing the victim plead for his life, prosecutors said. The victim, terrified, fled the scene and returned later to retrieve his car.
About 15 minutes after the holdup, Lee arrived at a gas station in the 100 block of West 111th Street and tried to use the victim’s credit cards, prosecutors said. The cards were declined because the victim had already deactivated the accounts.
Chicago police identified Lee’s car from video and tracked him down as its registered owner, according to prosecutors. Investigators also found one of the victim’s AirTags in a yard about a block from Lee’s home, near the gas station.
Detectives served a search warrant on Match.com, the owner of BLK. The search revealed conversations between Lee and the victim that corroborated the victim’s account, prosecutors said.
Police arrested Lee at his workplace this week. At the time, he allegedly had a red bag containing another firearm. Prosecutors said he “made admissions” during police questioning.
Lee is charged with armed robbery and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
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