CHICAGO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today charged a man with robbing an individual at gunpoint of his laptop computer during a Facebook Marketplace meeting on the city’s North Side.
The robbery occurred on the evening of Aug. 5, 2026, in the 700 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The victim had offered his MacBook Pro laptop for sale on Facebook Marketplace and agreed to meet with a purported buyer, later identified as MAYKEL GONZALEZ DEMARIA. According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Gonzalez Demaria arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location driving a Blue Toyota Corolla and asked the victim to get inside. The victim declined but handed the laptop and a charger to Gonzalez Demaria to inspect, the complaint states. After the pair discussed a price for the laptop, Gonzalez Demaria reached into the backseat, grabbed a firearm, and pointed it at the victim, the complaint states. Gonzalez Demaria then allegedly drove off with the laptop and charger.
The victim was able to take a photograph of the Corolla and its license plate number, which he conveyed to Chicago Police in a 911 call. Less than 30 minutes later, police observed a car matching the description about a mile away and conducted a traffic stop, during which they discovered the laptop, the charger, and the firearm, the complaint states. Gonzalez Demaria was placed under arrest.
The complaint charges Gonzalez Demaria, 19, with one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. His initial appearance in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jalan L. Jaskot.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
