McHenry police say man posed as ride-hailing driver, refused to let woman out of car

A McHenry County judge issued an arrest warrant Monday for a man accused of posing as a ride-share driver, driving a woman from an airport to McHenry, and then refusing to let her out of the car until she gave him $1,400.

Tamer Refaie, 33, of Burbank was charged with intimidation involving physical confinement or restraint, a Class 3 felony, as well as unlawful restraint and theft of a rented or leased vehicle valued over $500, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County.

Refaie is charged with similar offenses in Chicago involving two separate women whom he allegedly picked up on separate dates at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, according to Cook County court records.

In one case, he is charged with theft and unlawful restraint, and in the other, with kidnapping, robbery, theft and unlawful restraint. He has pleaded not guilty in the second case. He has not yet entered a plea in the other.

He currently is detained on those charges in Cook County Jail pretrial, said Grace Cronin, communications specialist for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. He is due in a Cook County courtroom Dec. 16.

McHenry police allege that Refaie picked up a 46-year-old woman who landed at O’Hare from out of the country about 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14. He is accused of pulling up in the taxi lane in a black BMW SUV.

Make sure if you are going with someone, they can verify the company they work for.”

—  McHenry police public information officer Ashley O’Herron

The woman, in town for business, asked him to take her to a hotel in McHenry, the police said. He drove to McHenry, but before letting her out of his vehicle, he intimidated and detained her until she gave him $1,400, according to the complaint. He drove her to an ATM at a bank in McHenry, where she withdrew the money, McHenry police public information officer Ashley O’Herron said.

When she first entered the vehicle at O’Hare, the woman told police that he said he took credit cards and works for a Chicago black car service. He allegedly did not provide a specific company name, O’Herron said. Police have not been able to connect him to an actual car service company.

The woman called police from the hotel and made the report, O’Herron said, confirming that Refaie is being held in Cook County.

She said other agencies have looked into additional, similar alleged offenses, where Refaie is suspected of waiting in the taxi line at the airport; posing as a taxi, Uber or black car driver; picking people up and driving them to where they want to go, then ramping up the fare prices.

Refaie then allegedly takes them to an ATM after saying his credit card machine is broken, O’Herron said, noting that not all reports have resulted in charges.

O’Herron said people should confirm a driver is legitimate before getting in any ride-share or taxi vehicle. She also said an average ride-share trip from O’Hare to McHenry should cost between $85 and $140.

“Make sure if you are going with someone, they can verify the company they work for,” O’Herron said.