Two women from Wisconsin have been accused of duping as many as 10 men in Chicago after drugging them until they became unconscious before robbing them of about $85,000, according to Cook County prosecutors.
Tiana Trammel, 25, and Tjwana Rainey, 32, both originally from Milwaukee, allegedly ran the operation from January until last Sunday. They have now been charged with operating a continuing financial criminal enterprise and possession of a controlled substance.
Modus Operandi
Prosecutors said on Tuesday that Trammel and Rainey targeted rich, drunk men in bars and nightclubs in Chicago's River North district before inviting them over to their place. Once they arrived at their residence, the men were served a drink laced with drugs that would knock them out.
The men would then wake up either in their own homes or by the side of the road, unharmed but without their personal belongings. The women allegedly used stolen credit and debit cards from the men to withdraw money from ATMs at Walmart and Target stores in the Milwaukee area.
"The victim usually 'blacks out' after consuming the offenders' alcohol. The victim awakes on the side of the road missing his cell phone, wallet, credit cards and jewelry," the lawsuit said.
The women were arrested by Chicago police early Sunday after carrying a man from a nightclub to Trammell's vehicle, which was tagged with a tracking device by authorities who were aware of the women's activities.
Con Inspired by the Movie 'Hustlers'
The women seem to have drawn some inspiration from the 2019 Jennifer Lopez starrer "Hustlers." In the film, Lopez leads a pack of strippers who steal money from wealthy Wall Street stock traders and CEOs by drugging them and then running up their credit cards.
In the movie, the women pretend to drink with each target while secretly lacing the men's drinks with drugs and once inebriated, they are escorted back to the strip club, where the crew has negotiated a set cut rate that they receive based on how much they are able to charge on their targets' credit card.
The film, which was based on Jessica Pressler's December 2015 New York magazine article "The Hustlers at Scores," also starred Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Cardi B, Lili Reinhart and Lizzo.
