Authorities say a man stole thousands from women in Algonquin who thought they were helping needy children

Armarion McNeal
Courtesy of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office

A Chicago man is accused of defrauding two women in an Algonquin retail district by asking them to donate money to “underprivileged youth” and then, without the women knowing, increasing their donations, authorities said.

Armarion McNeal, 25, of the 3800 block of West Maypole Avenue, is charged in two separate cases with theft by deception between $500 and $10,000, Class 3 felonies, according to documents filed in McHenry County Court criminal complaints show.

If convicted, the punishment for a Class 3 felony can range from probation to five years in prison.

According to court records, McNeal is accused of committing this offense on May 10 and May 17 in the area of ​​shopping centers along Randall Road.

He made his first court appearance Thursday, where Judge Jeffrey Hirsch denied the state’s request to keep McNeal in the county jail.

On May 10 at 4 p.m., McNeal asked a woman in a retail district on Randall Road for “donations to support college financing for disadvantaged youth,” the criminal complaint states. According to the complaint, the woman donated $20 using her debit card, which McNeal allegedly used to make the transaction for $1,700.

On May 17 at 1 p.m., McNeal told a similar story with another person. He told a woman he was “asking for donations to support the youth.” The woman agreed to donate $10, but McNeal completed the transaction for $1,000, according to the criminal complaint.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Marin said while McNeal was released on remand for the May 10 offense, an investigation was ongoing. That investigation led to a woman identifying McNeal from a photograph as the person who committed the same crime on May 17, authorities said.

McNeal, who was first arrested June 25 in the May 10 case, has no ties to McHenry County and the court had already issued an arrest warrant when he failed to appear in court on July 30 in that first case.

Marin called for McNeal to be detained, saying it was “difficult to imagine what (conditions may be ordered to ensure he returns) the court will decide in his cases.”

The arrest warrant was revoked when McNeal actually appeared in court Wednesday and was taken back into custody on the May 17 charge, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger said.

McNeal is also on probation for a conviction in Cook County for possession of a stolen vehicle, Marin said.

Giesinger argued McNeal could be released on conditions that would ensure he would return to court, including electronic monitoring and GPS. He also noted that he is not accused of a violent crime.

Hirsch discussed McNeal’s previous criminal cases, including one in which he was sentenced to a year in prison. He said the state had proven he committed the alleged crimes but agreed with Giesinger that he could be released on conditions to ensure he returns to court.

Hirsch ordered that McNeal not commit any further crimes, be placed on electronic monitoring and be under the direct supervision of court authorities. He also imposed a curfew requiring McNeal to be home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m

McNeal’s next court date is October 31.