Three Chicago men face federal charges after they tried to rob an undercover ATF agent during a gun deal arranged on Instagram, according to a criminal complaint. The agent fired a shot during the attempted holdup, which occurred in a Walmart parking lot, but no one was injured.
According to the complaint, Jeremy Jones, 19, advertised firearms for sale on Instagram using the handle @spoodyfrm76th, including a Glock Model 19 handgun and a purple and black Ruger Security-9 pistol. An undercover agent who had been in contact with Jones for about a year began DMing him about the two firearms last week.
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They agreed to meet Thursday in the parking lot of a store on the 2500 block of West 95th Street in Evergreen Park, but Jones allegedly moved the meeting to a Walmart at 10900 South Doty Avenue, claiming the previous location was “too hot.” A second ATF undercover officer accompanied the first to the new location as support.
Jones arrived in a black Chevrolet Cruze around 11:30 a.m., with Carmell Massey, 20, driving, 22-year-old Christopher Densmore in the rear seat, and Jones, who walks with crutches, in the front passenger seat, according to the complaint.
Densmore allegedly entered the agents’ car and showed them the purple and black Ruger pistol. The agent removed the magazine and placed it on the center console, but Densmore reloaded the pistol and stated that he needed the money first, according to the complaint. When the two couldn’t agree on the order of the transaction, Densmore returned to the Cruze.
The undercover agent then exited their vehicle and approached the Cruze on foot, holding $600 in government funds to pay for the Ruger. According to the complaint, Jones grabbed both the money and the officer through the open front passenger window, and the two began fighting over the money. According to the complaint, Jones then pointed the purple and black Ruger revolver straight at the undercover cop, prompting the officer to draw his own weapon and fire one shot at Jones. The bullet hit the Cruze.
Both undercover police instructed the surveillance crew to move in. Massey allegedly crashed the Cruze into an ATF car with lights and sirens engaged. ATF vehicles surrounded and disabled the Cruze. The three males were put into custody.
According to the complaint, after being given their Miranda rights, Jones and Densmore both admitted to investigators that they intended to rob the undercover officer of the purchase money before the transaction took place. Massey stated he was unaware of the heist scheme until Jones and the police began fighting over the money.
Each guy is charged with one count of attempted robbery of a person lawfully in possession of U.S. property and one count of flashing a firearm during a violent crime.
“I am proud of the professionalism and bravery demonstrated by our undercover law enforcement officers, ATF agents, and task force officers on the scene,” stated Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Chicago Field Division. “These professionals risk their lives day in and day out to target violent criminals and their sources of crime guns.”
