Trump campaign team SUV stolen, Milwaukee man sentenced to prison

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Charles Lucas

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man who stole a Trump campaign team vehicle just before the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison.

Court records show 18-year-old Charles Lucas pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. In addition to prison, he was sentenced to two years of extended supervision.

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The backstory:

According to a criminal complaint, police were called to the Pfister Hotel for a stolen vehicle report on July 13, 2024 – just two days before the RNC officially opened downtown. When police arrived at the scene, a hotel security officer stated that, at approximately 4 a.m., a male wearing a black mask had entered the valet room and forced open the valet key box. 

The subject, later identified Lucas, who was 17 years old at the time, allegedly took a key to a black 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe – which was assigned to a Trump Campaign Advance Team member.

The Pfister Hotel

The complaint indicates Lucas drove down a ramp and through the Mason Street gate arm, causing damage to the gate arm. The security guard stated that he caught the door handle as it passed and tried to open it, but Lucas had locked it. 

Around 7 a.m. that morning, officers were tracking the GPS of the stolen SUV and discovered that it was at Walmart on Brown Deer Road. The vehicle was unoccupied, but police located Lucas inside the store and took him into custody. Officers located the key to the SUV on Lucas, along with multiple other keys taken from the hotel.

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During an interview with investigators, Lucas claimed he was looking for an outlet to charge his phone at the hotel when he saw a cabinet and became curious as to what was inside, the complaint states.

Lucas told investigators the cabinet was locked, but it was easy to get it open. He said once he got it open, he saw all the keys inside and grabbed a handful. Lucas told police he pushed the chirp button on one of the key fobs and heard the chirp and located the Chevrolet Tahoe. That's when he got into the vehicle and started driving.