Overview

• A federal grand jury returned the July 1 indictment charging Maurice D. Lee Jr. with two counts each of carjacking and robbery plus four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
• Prosecutors say the alleged crimes unfolded on May 10 and May 17, 2024, when Lee hijacked two Toyota vehicles and robbed credit unions at the UIC Student Center and Medical Sciences Building by threatening victims with a handgun.
• Lee, 32, was arrested May 19, remained in state custody for a year and was moved to federal detention in June; he is held without bond awaiting trial.
• Under federal law, each firearm brandishing count carries a mandatory minimum of seven years, amounting to at least 28 years in prison before factoring in maximum terms of up to 20 years per robbery count and 15 years per carjacking count.
• The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois with support from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, the University of Illinois Chicagoice Department and and the Chicago Police Department.