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 over three years in prison.
Lamar Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft by deception in a scheme that prosecutors say targeted victims who consented to make small donations only to have hundreds or thousands of dollars transferred from their bank accounts using Zelle.
Prosecutors allege Smith and a co-defendant, 22-year-old Kyri Walker, conspired to steal money from victims by seizing control of their phones after they unlocked banking apps to donate. According to police and court records, the couple operated outside Nike’s store at 669 North Michigan Avenue in the spring of last year…