A Chicago man is accused of stealing nearly $3,000 from two women as part of a charity scam in Algonquin

A Chicago man allegedly stole nearly $3,000 from two women in Algonquin by overcharging their debit cards when they offered him a small donation to help underprivileged children.

Armarion J. McNeal, 25, of Chicago, was charged with two counts of theft by deception over $500, a Class 3 felony.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges McNeal received $1,700 from a woman in Algonquin on May 10.

The complaint states that McNeal deceived the woman by asking her for a donation to help pay for college for disadvantaged youth.

The victim offered a $20 donation and McNeal completed a transaction for $1,700 using her debit card — $1,680 more than she offered, the complaint states.

A week later, McNeal was accused of carrying out the same scam on another woman in Algonquin, court records show.

A criminal complaint said McNeal was soliciting donations to support the teen on May 17 when he allegedly stole $1,000 from the second victim.

The woman had offered McNeal a $10 donation, but he completed a transaction using the victim's debit card for a total of $1,000 – $990 more than she had offered, the complaint says.

In February, police warned of suspects posing as fundraisers for organizations and stealing large sums of money from people in McHenry County.

The subjects who target people in retail areas claim they are collecting donations. They accept debit card payments but claim that cash and credit cards are not accepted.

Instead of debiting the agreed amount, they charge significantly more to the person's debit card.

McNeal was arrested and released from the McHenry County Jail earlier this week after McHenry County Judge Jeffrey Hirsch denied a request to be held pending trial.

The judge ordered McNeal placed under electronic monitoring and imposed a curfew.

McNeal is scheduled to appear in court again on October 31.