Chicago man pleads guilty to tricking elderly Algonquin woman into sending him $5,000

A Chicago man accused of impersonating a lawyer and tricking an 88-year-old Algonquin woman into sending him thousands of dollars has pleaded guilty to theft.

Ronnie Ross, 38, was sentenced to three years in prison, of which he must serve 50%, followed by six months of mandatory supervised release, according to an order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt filed in McHenry County court.

On or about March 20, 2023, Ross, while using someone else’s “stolen identity” and “impersonating legitimate attorneys,” deceived the woman into sending two separate Zelle payments of $2,570 and $2,430, court records show.

Ross also was accused of tricking the woman into sending him her credit card, driver’s license and Social Security numbers via the telephone, according to the complaint.

He will receive credit for 380 days served in the county jail pretrial, according to the order. In exchange for his guilty plea, additional charges of wire fraud and false impersonation of an attorney were dismissed, records show.