Federal agents have put a $10,000 price on the capture of Gary "Bird" Luellen as they intensify the hunt for the 24-year-old, who is accused of taking part in a string of violent carjackings across Chicago and the south suburbs. Investigators say Luellen is the last man still on the run from a four-person crew tied to multiple early-2023 attacks, and they believe he is still somewhere in the Chicago area after roughly two years as a fugitive.
According to FBI Chicago, Luellen faces federal counts that include conspiracy and motor-vehicle theft (carjacking), and a federal arrest warrant was issued in February 2024 in the Northern District of Illinois. The bureau’s wanted notice offers up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest and flags him as an escape risk.
Agents Call The Carjacking Spree ‘Incredibly Violent’
Special Agent Dustin Gourley, acting supervisor of the FBI Chicago Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force, is not sugarcoating how frightening the case is. He told reporters the crew’s tactics were brazen and that the incidents were “incredibly scary, incredibly violent.” Suspects pointed firearms directly at victims and used extended magazines and conversion switches, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Carjackers Zeroed In On High-End Dodges
Investigators say the group carried out four carjackings in early 2023, three on Chicago’s South Side and one in the south suburban village of Dolton, focusing on high-end Dodge Challengers. At least one incident happened in the 12600 block of South Halsted, and another near 1000 E. Sibley Blvd in Dolton. Those locations and the pattern of attacks were detailed by authorities and reported by WBBM Newsradio.
Who Investigators Say ‘Bird’ Is
The FBI’s wanted materials list Luellen at about 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Federal records put his birth date at June 21, 2002, and describe the April 18, 2023 Halsted Street carjacking as involving a firearm, according to FBI Chicago.
Still On The Run, With Ties To South Side And Suburbs
While his co-defendants are already in custody, the FBI says Luellen remains at large and agents are again turning to the public for help. They believe he has family connections on the South Side and in nearby suburbs. The renewed push to find him, along with the $10,000 reward, comes amid a broader effort to track down violent fugitives featured on Chicago’s “Most Wanted” lists, a campaign previously highlighted during the Operation Summer Heat crackdown in Hoodline’s coverage of Chicago Most Wanted. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI by phone or submit a tip online, as noted in reporting by FOX 32 Chicago.
How Federal Charges Come Into Play
Cases like this often move into federal court under the Hobbs Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which allows prosecutors to charge robberies or conspiracies that affect interstate commerce. That reach means defendants can be hit with robbery-related counts along with separate firearms charges, depending on what investigators say happened during each incident. For a breakdown of the law itself, see Cornell Law School.
