Winnetka Man Charged With Lying To Police About Armed Robbery

SKOKIE, IL — The Winnetka man who called 911 Monday to say he had just been robbed at gunpoint has been accused of filing a false report. Police said the man lied about being robbed at gunpoint of nearly $10,000 in order to prompt a more serious police response. Friday, he became the sixth man to be charged in connection with the incident, which led to the arrest of the occupants of an SUV at Peterson and Cicero avenues.

George Althoff, 21, of the 900 block of Ash Street in Winnetka, was charged Friday with felony disorderly conduct. Prosecutors said Althoff called 911 around 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 27 and reported he had been robbed at gunpoint on his front lawn by people who had arrived to buy shoes from him.

In addition to stealing some shoes, Althoff told dispatchers the robbers had also stolen his cell phone and wallet, which he said had between $9,000 and $10,000 in it at the time. He initially claimed four people with guns had robbed him, including two white men and two black men, before fleeing in two different cars, prosecutors said at a bond hearing Friday.

Five men arrested as a result of Althoff's report were arrested and charged with felony marijuana possession. Police said they found 350 grams of a concentrated form of marijuana known as "shatter" in the SUV after the report prompted to an alert sent to area police departments.

A Wilmette police officer noticed an SUV headed south on the Edens Expressway after hearing the alert that matched one of the descriptions. The officer followed it down the highway to Peterson and Cicero before arresting the occupants with the help of backup from the Lincolnwood, Winnetka, Chicago and Cook County police departments.

Althoff changed his story a couple hours later, according to prosecutors and police. He clarified there was only one car, no guns involved and only about half the amount of money was stolen. Althoff also amended his account to specify that the incident had taken place inside his house. He admitted there was no gun involved and told police he had lied to "speed up the response," prosecutors said. Police said he was taken into custody at Friday morning at the Winnetka Police Department.

Although as of Friday none of them had been charged with robbing Althoff, the five men arrested in Chicago and charged with marijuana possession had gone to Althoff's house with the intent to commit a robbery, according to police. Several of the men had been previously acquainted, according to police, who described the incident as "not a random act."

Althoff appeared in court with what his lawyer described as a bruise from being struck during the incident.

"He was, in fact, robbed," his defense attorney said. He said his client was in the shoe business and had attended DePaul University.

Cook County Circuit Judge Anjana Hansen ordered Althoff, who has no criminal history, released on a personal recognizance bond ahead of his next court appearance Sept. 25.

Related:

• Winnetka Armed Robbery Report Results In Marijuana Charges For 5
• Winnetka Robbery Suspects Caught By Wilmette Cop In Chicago