18-Year-Old Man Accused of Orchestrating Armed Robbery Through Gay Dating App
An 18-year-old man, Jroy Ramey, is facing charges of armed robbery after allegedly luring a victim to Kenwood through a gay dating app and using a gun, a bat, and threats of violence to steal his phone, smartwatch, and access to his bank accounts. The incident occurred on July 19 in the 4800 block of South Drexel Boulevard, with Ramey suspected of being involved in similar crimes in both the city and suburbs.
Chicago police had issued warnings about three similar robberies on the same block in July, although Ramey is currently charged in only one of the incidents. The victim, a 30-year-old man from Cicero, reported that he was chatting with someone on the dating app Sniffies while working as an Uber driver around 1 a.m. The conversation led him to Drexel Boulevard near 49th Street, where he believed he was meeting the person from the app.
Upon arrival, the victim was approached by a man who directed him to a more secluded area. Ramey then appeared from behind a door holding a silver object resembling a baseball bat, ordering the victim to the ground and demanding his phone. When the victim refused to provide the phone’s password, Ramey allegedly threatened to have the other offender shoot the victim in the leg if he did not comply.
The second suspect then pressed a gun against the victim’s leg and back while he lay on the ground. The robbers forced the victim to unlock his phone using facial recognition and also took his Apple Watch. After the robbery, the victim drove to the nearest police station to report the incident.
Following the robbery, the victim discovered unauthorized purchases totaling $1,856 made from his bank account, which was linked to the stolen phone. Additionally, orders were placed through the victim’s Uber Eats account, including one delivery sent to Ramey’s home address.
During a search warrant executed by Maywood police at Ramey’s home on July 24, a loaded Glock handgun with a 30-round ammunition magazine was recovered. The police also found driver’s licenses, identification cards, and credit cards belonging to individuals not residing at the residence. Ramey’s phone records allegedly placed him at the location of the Drexel Boulevard robbery at the time of the crime.
Ramey voluntarily turned himself in to face charges related to this case and a separate armed robbery incident from February 5, 2025, when he was a juvenile. The victim of the July robbery positively identified Ramey in a photo lineup. Judge Shauna Boliker ordered Ramey to be detained.
