Two men accused of robbing four people at gunpoint in River North were sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Marques Williams and Terrion Jackson, both 20, entered their pleas to Judge John Lyke on Wednesday.
The pair, along with two suspected 17-year-old accomplices, were charged with perpetrating the River North robberies on March 19, 2023.
Around 10 p.m. that night, Chicago police and other law enforcement agencies were tracking a stolen Jeep Compass, which Park Ridge police suspected had been used in a robbery outside a Mariano’s grocery store earlier that evening. Despite being under surveillance, authorities claim the team managed to escape and rob four additional victims in River North.
When the Jeep arrived at the 500 block of West Chicago Avenue, the driver made a wide bend and stopped beside four males about to enter a parked automobile. Four people stepped out of the SUV, pointed pistols at each victim, and stole their belongings before departing.
Police quickly located the Jeep in the 700 block of North Michigan Avenue and pulled it over. Four people fled the vehicle, but all were apprehended nearby. Prosecutors claim Williams flung a revolver before being arrested, while Jackson threw away multiple smartphones. Officers also found a second firearm inside the Jeep, previously reported stolen in the 400 block of North State Street earlier that day.
At the same time, the robbery victims approached a Chicago police officer to report the incident and gave him the license plate information of the criminals’ getaway car. It matched the plate on the stolen Jeep, according to police.
Although Jackson and Williams had no adult criminal history at the time of their arrests, prosecutors said they both had significant juvenile records. Jackson had three pending juvenile cases for carjacking and unlawful gun possession, while Williams had an outstanding McHenry County juvenile warrant and a Chicago carjacking case. Prosecutors also stated that Williams was judged delinquent for gun possession in 2019 and 2020, as well as criminal trespass to a vehicle in 2019.
Williams obtained 1,571 days of credits earned while in jail, indicating that he is unlikely to face more prison time, given the state’s 50% sentence reduction for good behavior. Jackson earned 1,062 days of credit, giving him about one year to serve before becoming eligible for release.
Both men are due to appear in court next week on robbery charges stemming from the Park Ridge holdup.