Pro tip to Lyft & Uber drivers
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Federal prosecutors in Chicago are taking over a carjacking case in which an 18-year-old man is accused of hijacking a Lyft driver’s car in the Loop after ordering a ride using the name “Moneybagg Uzi.” Cook County prosecutors charged Noah Ransom in the spring. Now, he’s going to the big time.
Around 4 a.m. on April 9, “Moneybagg Uzi” ordered a ride from the Embassy Suites hotel, 600 North State, to 201 South State in the Loop. The 37-year-old Lyft driver told police that when he arrived to pick up “Moneybagg Uzi,” five men, including Ransom, got into his Lexus RX350, according to federal prosecutors.
As they headed into the Loop, Ransom allegedly pulled out a gun and told the driver, “Don’t try any funny business. Stop, put your seat back, and get out of the car.”
The driver pulled over in front of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 South Michigan, and got out. Ransom slid behind the wheel and drove away with the other four, prosecutors allege.
Illinois State Police troopers spotted the stolen SUV on the Dan Ryan Expressway and engaged in a lengthy pursuit that reached speeds over 120 MPH until they forced it to stop around 6:10 a.m. near Jackson and Aberdeen in the West Loop.
