A 23-year-old man from Evergreen Park, Illinois, has been charged in federal court with robbing an armored truck driver in downtown Chicago earlier this week. According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Dajon Harris allegedly confronted a Brinks armored truck driver on Wednesday morning as the driver exited a store on South State Street carrying several bags of cash.
The complaint states that Harris attempted to take one of the bags from the driver’s hand, leading to a struggle during which Harris punched the driver and seized a bag of cash. During the altercation, the driver drew his firearm and fired shots at Harris.
Harris then fled west along Madison Street toward a Chicago Transit Authority subway station. Law enforcement officers located him in the station and recovered the stolen money. Harris was subsequently transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
Harris is charged with robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, announced the charges. The Chicago Police Department assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hanna Helwig is representing the government.
The incident took place within downtown Chicago’s newly designated Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) enforcement zone. In June 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros announced that PSN would expand to include economic centers downtown and all areas served by CTA rail lines (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/us-attorney-boutros-announces-expansion-project-safe-neighborhoods-enforcement-zones). The initiative focuses on investigating and prosecuting robberies, illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, carjackings, and other violent crimes—especially those involving firearms—in these zones.
According to authorities: “For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence.”
Officials remind the public that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
