A 25-year-old man accused of robbing three gaming stores was caught red-handed as he tried to pawn off PlayStation controllers he stole less than two hours earlier, prosecutors said.
Aaron Brown, who allegedly told detectives he was trying to raise money for a commercial driver’s license, is charged with three counts of aggravated robbery. He’s accused of targeting two GameStop stores and one independent gaming shop on the Southwest Side.
Back on June 27, Brown allegedly robbed a store called Back in the Game at 7757 South Cicero Avenue. He tried to buy a PlayStation, two controllers, and a game around 3:45 p.m., but his credit card was declined twice, according to a detention petition. When the clerk tried to take the items back, Brown allegedly threatened him, saying it wasn’t worth dying over a video game system, and walked out with the gear.
Just a few hours later, he allegedly walked into the GameStop at 31st and Halsted and sold the stolen PlayStation after presenting his state ID to complete the transaction.
Then, on July 11, he walked into GameStop, 7945 South Cicero, with his hands in his pockets, implied he had a gun, and told the clerk to fill a bag with merchandise, the petition said. He allegedly made off with 30 controllers for PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch systems, plus two games. The whole thing was captured on store surveillance.
The most recent alleged robbery happened at the same GameStop around 1:30 p.m. on July 14. Once again, prosecutors say Brown walked in with his hand in his pocket, told a clerk he had a gun, and demanded all the store’s PlayStation controllers. He allegedly left with a dozen of them and three video games.
A witness who saw Brown getting into a vehicle took a picture of the SUV and noted its license plate number, which they provided to Chicago cops. The vehicle, prosecutors say, was registered to Brown.
Police used license plate readers to track the Jeep. They found it less than two hours after the robbery, parked in an alley next to EZPawn at 3951 West 26th Street. Officers allegedly found Brown at the pawnshop counter with seven PlayStation controllers laid out for sale. Surveillance video showed him arriving with the merchandise minutes earlier.
Brown was arrested at the scene. After being read his rights, he “made admissions,” telling officers he had committed the robberies to get cash for his CDL, according to a detention petition.
Judge Rivanda Doss Beal ordered Brown held pending trial. She also revoked his pretrial release in a pending February case, in which he’s charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver. That case remains open.
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