A man with a lengthy criminal history pleaded guilty Thursday to robbing a musician of a $10,000 violin on a CTA Blue Line train in the Loop last spring.
Timothy Johnson, 39, pled guilty to robbery and received a six-year sentence from Judge Stanley Sacks. Judge Stanley Sacks will reduce your punishment by half if you behave well.
According to prosecutors, Johnson was traveling on a Blue Line train near Clark-Lake on the evening of April 11 when he spotted an opportunity: a violin case carried by 22-year-old musician Cyrus Spurlock on his way to Wicker Park.
According to authorities, Johnson snatched the case and fought Spurlock’s resistance while CTA cameras rolled. Police released photos of Spurlock’s brother’s handmade violin and began searching for it, but there is no evidence it has been found.
During an initial court hearing, a judge called Johnson’s actions a “blatant use of force” against “a random civilian.”
Johnson was already facing two felony retail theft charges at the time of the heist. In July, he pled guilty to those counts, and Judge Eulalia De La Rosa sentenced him to 24 months probation.
Johnson also admitted to assaulting a CTA employee at the Logan Square Blue Line station in March, according to court records. He received a 30-day jail sentence in the instance. He has also attempted to rob a senior citizen in the past.