Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Connection with Plaza Frontenac Robbery

St. Louis, MO – Dejuan Wingard, 22, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property this morning. Judge Henry Autrey accepted his plea and set his sentencing for August 1, 2017.

Wingard is the last of eight individuals indicted for interstate transportation of stolen property in December for their participation in a "smash and grab" theft of Chanel handbags from the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Frontenac on November 26, 2016. The group drove into Illinois with the stolen purses before being arrested by state and local police near Litchfield, Illinois.

All 8 defendants now await sentencing and face up to 10 years imprisonment and/or fines up to $250,000 or both. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

A second group of five Chicagoans alleged to have participated in this crime have been indicted in United States v William Curry, et al. and await trial.

This case was prosecuted by the FBI and the Frontenac Police Department with assistance from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

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