A Chicago man is being charged with armed robbery after prosecutors alleged he assisted a friend in robbing a FedEx driver, all while wearing a GPS-enabled electronic monitoring bracelet. Authorities are now utilizing the location data from the ankle monitor to place him at the scene during the crime.
Bernard Meeks, 21, was reportedly wearing a court-mandated monitoring device when he and three others allegedly confronted a FedEx driver on the South Side on January 31. According to prosecutors, GPS data from the device tracked Meeks from his residence to the site of the robbery, showing him staying for several minutes during the incident.
Prosecutors stated the incident unfolded around 1 p.m. when a FedEx driver attempted to deliver a package to 21-year-old Dylan Longstreet on the 10200 block of South Forest Avenue. The package needed a signature, but when no one answered, the driver moved on. Longstreet allegedly recruited Meeks and two unidentified individuals to locate the FedEx truck and seize the package at gunpoint.
The men reportedly drove around until they found the truck. Longstreet and Meeks exited their vehicle, with Longstreet allegedly brandishing a firearm at the 23-year-old driver. He demanded his package, supposedly identifying himself by name and providing the address on the shipment. Simultaneously, one of the accomplices allegedly grabbed the driver’s sweatshirt, attempting to pull him from the truck. The driver, however, held onto the steering wheel and used his work device to locate Longstreet’s package, then proceeded to the cargo area to retrieve it.
Allegedly entering the truck through the driver’s door, Longstreet, Meeks, and another accomplice followed the driver to the back. Longstreet reportedly retrieved his package while the others allegedly took 10 additional packages before fleeing.
Surveillance cameras on the truck captured the entire event, officials said. Longstreet attempted to remove one of the cameras as he left, inadvertently revealing a distinctive tattoo on his arm to the lens, prosecutors noted. The truck’s security system also recorded Longstreet stating his name and address while demanding the package.
Although the FedEx driver could not identify Meeks from a photo lineup, prosecutors said two Chicago police officers who had arrested him in an unrelated gun possession case last August recognized him during the robbery investigation. The ankle monitor provided additional confirmation.
According to prosecutors, GPS records indicated Meeks departed his home around 12:30 p.m. on the day of the robbery, traveling down the Dan Ryan Expressway to Longstreet’s address. Within minutes, the ankle monitor allegedly moved to the 10000 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, where it remained for roughly six minutes during the crime.
Judge Antara Rivera has ordered Meeks to remain detained pending trial on the armed robbery charge. Longstreet is also awaiting trial.
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