Man Pleads Guilty to Marketplace Robbery After Luring Victim on Social Media
CHICAGO — In recent weeks, the Chicago Police Department has issued multiple warnings regarding armed individuals using social media marketplace ads to lure unsuspecting victims into robbery traps. The latest incident involved a 16-year-old boy who was charged with robbing two men he had lured through an online ad.
Yesterday, George Miller, 26, pleaded guilty to committing a marketplace-related robbery. Miller, who was sentenced to four years in prison, is expected to be released in less than a year.
The victim in Miller’s case was searching for a PlayStation 5 (PS5) on Facebook when he came across an ad offering the gaming console at an affordable price. After contacting the seller, Miller, the victim arranged to meet at his residence in the 8600 block of South Essex.
Miller arrived around 7 p.m. with a PS5 box in hand. The victim met him in the building vestibule to finalize the sale, but the transaction took a dark turn when Miller brandished a firearm and demanded more money.
According to prosecutors, Miller threatened the victim by claiming he had robbed women all week. After taking the $400 in cash, Miller left the PS5 box behind, which was later found to contain books instead of the gaming console. Despite his attempts to conceal his identity, Miller’s face and a tattoo on his left hand helped investigators track him down through his Facebook account.
During his court hearing, Miller pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery before Judge Arthur Willis. As part of the plea deal, more serious armed robbery charges were dropped, reducing Miller’s sentence to two years with the possibility of early release for good behavior. With credit for time served while the case was pending, Miller’s actual time behind bars will be significantly reduced.
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