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Press Release

Kankakee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Armed Robbery of Champaign Sprint Store

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois

URBANA, Ill. – Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm today sentenced Andre L. Williams, 30, of Kankakee, Ill., to 10 years in prison for his role in the July 2016 armed robbery of a Champaign Sprint store. Williams has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in October 2018, and will be transferred to the federal Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.

On May 24, 2019, Williams pleaded guilty to his role in the armed robbery of the Sprint store located on North Prospect in Champaign, Ill., on July 28, 2016. Williams also admitted his role in the armed robbery of another Sprint store, in Coldwater, Mich., that occurred on Aug. 27, 2016.

Williams admitted that he recruited two men, Thomas James and Andre Nunn, to commit the armed robbery of the Champaign store. During the robbery, two customers and two employees were held at gun point and their wrists and ankles were bound with zip-ties. Williams admitted that he gave instructions and explained how to use the zip ties. Williams received the majority of the proceeds of the robbery, approximately $10,000, and gave the others involved less than $2,000. The 52 cell phones stolen from the store were transferred to William’s vehicle and taken to a location outside of Chicago to be sold to another person.

Others involved in the Champaign armed robbery have previously been convicted and sentenced to prison terms: Thomas James – 19 years; Andre Nunn 8 years, 4 months; Randy Williams, the getaway driver – 15 years; and Randy’s cousin Jaevontae Williams – 7 years.

In addition to the prison sentence, Williams was ordered to pay restitution of $32,021 to the Champaign Sprint store and $42,129 to the Coldwater, Michigan store.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly Peirson and Ryan Finlen. The charges were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Champaign Police Department, the Kankakee Police Department, and Illinois State Police. 

Updated January 7, 2020

Topic
Violent Crime