'Lets Get Ready To Steal': Chicago Man Charged With Inciting Riot

CHICAGO — A Chicago man used social media to coordinate a group of people who damaged and looted several retailers last summer, authorities said. According to his charges, the targets of the spree included a marijuana dispensary, liquor store, cell phone shop and the Magnificent Mile Canada Goose store.

James Massey, 22, was arrested Tuesday and charged in federal district court in Chicago with one count of inciting a riot using a facility of interstate commerce — in this case, his Facebook account under the name "Steve Nash" and its nearly 5,000 "friends."

The charges stem from widespread looting in downtown Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods on the night of Aug. 9 and early morning hours of Aug. 10, 2020, which kicked off after Chicago police shot a man in the 5700 block of South Racine Avenue that afternoon.

Police said the 20-year-old man shot by an officer was later charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. In the hours after the shooting, social media posts claiming an unarmed child had been shot fueled anger. Soon, "car caravans" headed into the Loop with plans to loot, Superintendent David Brown said the next morning.

According to charges unsealed Tuesday, Massey incited one such caravan.

"Fittin to go f___ them up, I ain't missin out, I am ready to steal," Massey said in one of his livestreamed videos that night, according to an affidavit from FBI agent Nathan Scherer in support of the charges.

Within hours of the looting, Chicago police got a tip about Massey's Facebook account in the form of a screenshot, according to Scherer. It appeared to show Massey about 31 minutes into a livestreamed broadcast with 766 viewers.

The Facebook Live video's caption said: "ATTENTION [looting] START AT 12am tonight ... WE WILL NOT BE F______ UP THE SOUTH SIDE EAST SIDE OR WEST SIDE DOWNTOWN AREA AND UP NORTH AREA ONLY BRING YA TOOLS SKI MASK AND GLOVES #LETSGOOOOO"

A witness who watched the video later told investigators Massey was calling for people to head to downtown Chicago and loot businesses, the FBI agent alleged.

---

Investigators got a warrant for the "Steve Nash" account in September and uncovered private messages between it and about 40 people directing them to meet in the 6300 block of South Racine Avenue before heading downtown together, the FBI agent alleged.

After assembling at a South Side gas station, Massey posted a picture of himself on Facebook with the caption "Lets get ready to steal b____," followed by an unspecified emoji, according to Scherer's affidavit. That post was removed by Facebook for violating its community standards.

Massey next allegedly broadcast a five-minute Facebook Live video around 11:30 p.m. from behind the wheel of his car. According to Scherer's account of the video, he announced he was driving his brother around and ready to meet up.

"Y'all ready? I sent everybody the location to link up at bro," Massey allegedly said in the broadcast. "I tryin to get somethin. I need to hit a couple stores."

In messages to a group of about 30 Facebook users, other members posted images of guns they had brought along, as well as a video of Massey himself, the agent alleged.

"We like 13 cars deep," posted one member of the group, identified as Massey's brother, according to the FBI affidavit.

"WE AT THE WEED DISPENSARY," he allegedly posted about 15 minutes later.

Surveillance footage from the Windy City Cannabis dispensary at 923 W. Weed St. shows Massey and about a dozen others show up in three cars before breaking into the store around 1 a.m. Aug. 10, according to Scherer.

In an image captured from surveillance video during the looting, Massey appears to be standing lookout, according to prosecutors. Dispensary staff later reported burglars that night caused damage throughout the store and stole computers and merchandise.

According to the FBI affidavit, Massey was next caught on camera stealing coats with several other people from a store at 800 N. Michigan Ave., the location of the Canada Goose store. Massey's brother told the group chat they had "just hit" it around 1:45 a.m., the agent alleged.

Around 5 a.m., Massey and others broke into Urban Pantry, a convenience store at 730 S. Clark St., with footage showing him steal three bottles of clear liquor, according to Scherer.

Massey, his brother and others also allegedly burglarized a Verizon wireless store at 301 W. Washington St. around 5:45 a.m. after smashing a side door.

Related: CPD Looks To Identify Suspected Looters Caught On Video

“To those engaged this criminal behavior, let’s be clear: we are coming after you,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, hours later on the morning of Aug. 10, 2020. She described the events overnight as "an assault on our city" and “straight-up felony criminal conduct."

According to the FBI agent's affidavit, on Aug. 11 Massey told other Facebook users to hide posts about the night's events.

"Y'all police stop saying [that stuff] ... in here ... delete [that stuff]" he allegedly posted. "im off da [Face] book for a while."

At Massey's initial court appearance Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil Harjani ordered him released ahead of trial with electronic monitoring and a curfew, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing March 18.

Massey faces a maximum of five years in federal prison if convicted.

Earlier: 13 Cops Hurt, Over 100 Arrests After 'Car Caravans' Head Downtown