Chicago man admits swindling woman in Algonquin in charity debit card scam

A Chicago man admitted Thursday that he asked a woman outside an Algonquin store for a donation for “underprivileged children,” then increased her offering from $10 to $1,000.

Armarion J. McNeal, 26, pleaded guilty to theft by deception between $500 and $10,000, a Class 3 felony. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years probation, according to the judgment order in the McHenry County court.

Authorities said he approached a woman at about 1 p.m. May 17, 2024, in a retail area along Randall Road and told her he was “requesting donations to support the youth,” prosecutors said. The woman agreed to donate $10 using her debit card, but unbeknownst to her, McNeal put the transaction through for $1,000, the criminal complaint said.

In exchange for his guilty plea, two additional cases involving a similar scam were dismissed.

At McNeal’s first court hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Anthony Marin argued for detention and said McNeal was approaching “total strangers in a public way” and deceiving them.

At the time McNeal was charged in McHenry County, he was on probation for a conviction in Cook County for possession of a stolen vehicle, Marin said.

McNeal is required to serve half the jail time.