Chicago Armed Gang Smashes Gambling Machines, Flees at 100 MPH With $13K

Four Chicago men are accused of smashing their way into a suburban gambling café and stealing nearly $14,000 from video gaming machines, before leading police on a chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph.

The suspects allegedly used sledgehammers and a crowbar to break into Maria’s Gaming Cafe in Addison, Ill., Oct. 29, causing more than $100,000 in damage during a raid that lasted just two minutes.

Keonte Adams, 20, Dajuan Johnson, 24, Kyronte McCondichie, 20, and Daryl Nesbit, 19, were charged Friday (Oct. 30) with multiple felonies, including armed violence, burglary, possession of stolen vehicles, and aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Police Were Watching

Addison police and other DuPage County agencies were conducting surveillance in the early hours of Oct. 29 following a wave of burglaries targeting gambling businesses across the Chicago area.

At approximately 4:32 a.m., officers spotted a black Dodge Durango and white BMW, both reported stolen, traveling together along Lake Street.

Minutes later, the vehicles backed into parking spaces outside Maria’s Gaming Cafe.

According to prosecutors, five individuals, four of them armed, forced their way inside using sledgehammers and a crowbar.

They smashed open the gaming machines, removed their cash boxes, and fled with $13,847.

The cafe had already been burglarized once since May, according to ABC7 Chicago.

100 MPH Getaway

However, when the BMW struck police spike strips, forcing its three occupants to abandon the vehicle and pile into the Durango, which then held eight people.

Police pursued the SUV in a high-speed chase through several western Chicago suburbs. Officers eventually disabled the Durango using another set of spike strips near Interstate 290 in Bellwood.

Its occupants fled on foot across the expressway, temporarily forcing police to close traffic lanes while officers searched the surrounding neighborhood.

A coordinated operation involving police dogs, drones, and officers from multiple departments resulted in four men being arrested and charged. It’s unclear whether any of the remaining members of the gang have since been detained.

Investigators found two Glock handguns, including one fitted with an automatic-fire conversion device, and a loaded Zastava AK-style rifle inside the Durango.

Two additional firearms were recovered from the abandoned BMW, along with burglary tools.

A DuPage County judge ordered the four defendants detained pending trial. They are scheduled to appear in court again on November 23.