A man who posed as a charity solicitor and hijacked banking apps from unsuspecting donors outside the Nike store on the Magnificent Mile has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Lamar Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft by deception in a scheme that prosecutors say involved targeting people who agreed to make small donations—only to have hundreds or thousands of dollars transferred from their bank accounts via Zelle.
Prosecutors said Smith and a co-defendant, 22-year-old Kyri Walker, worked together to steal money from victims by taking control of their phones after they unlocked banking apps to donate. The duo operated outside the Nike store at 669 North Michigan Avenue in spring of last year, according to police and court records…