By Nick Gale, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) A Park Forest man has been sentenced to 57 years in prison for leading a crew of armed robbers that targeted cell phone stores in the Chicago suburbs.
Prosecutors say Eric Curtis recruited several individuals to join the crew and armed them with firearms to carry out the robberies. The crew stole hundreds of cell phones while terrorizing store employees and customers at gunpoint. After the robberies, Curtis helped to sell the phones and divide the profits among the thieves.
The robberies occurred in 2013 in cell phone stores in Addison, Norridge, Deerfield and Woodridge.
A jury last year convicted Curtis, 32, on one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, three counts of robbery, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of using a firearm in a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras imposed the sentence in federal court in Chicago.
Evidence at trial revealed that Curtis’ crew conducted takeover-style robberies. Crew members would enter a store, brandish firearms and order employees and customers to the back of the store at gunpoint. The robbers would take as many cell phones as they could stuff into their duffel bags.
Seven other members of the crew previously pleaded guilty.
@ 2017 WLS-AM News
