A Chicago robbery crew member, Xavier Harris, has been ordered to remain in federal custody pending his trial. Harris, 26, allegedly collaborated with his brother and two others in a series of robberies targeting businesses across Chicago between 2023 and 2024. These charges were made public in U.S. District Court in Chicago last month. A government memorandum supporting Harris’s detention notes that he brandished a gun and physically assaulted victims in three robberies, including one incident in Jefferson Park.
Harris was initially released on a $10,000 bond with location monitoring, despite objections from the government. However, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood overturned this decision and ordered Harris held without bond. His brother, Ardaries Harris, along with co-defendants Jordan Fox and Roosevelt Veal, are also in detention awaiting trial. All have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy and robbery. The defendants face maximum sentences of life imprisonment, with minimum sentences ranging from 21 to 30 years.
The announcement of Xavier Harris's detention was made by several law enforcement authorities, including Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon of the ATF's Chicago Field Division. The arrests were supported by various agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The investigation forms part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating violent crime. The case is also linked with Chicago's Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which focuses on tackling gun violence.
“The nature and circumstances of these serious offenses and the weight of the evidence demonstrate the danger posed to the community by Xavier Harris if he is released,” explained Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern. They emphasized the reckless disregard for human safety exhibited in these alleged offenses.
It is emphasized that an indictment does not equate to guilt; the charges against the defendants will be evaluated in a trial where the prosecution must establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
