Rockford Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to a total of 114 months in federal prison for the robbery of the U.S. Cellular store, 6430 E. State St., in Rockford, on June 1, 2016, and for using a firearm during a violent crime. 

RICKY WOODS, 23, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for the robbery, and was ordered to serve a consecutive term of 84 months’ imprisonment for using a firearm during a crime of violence.  After serving his sentence in federal prison, Woods will be placed on three years of supervised release.  Woods pleaded guilty to the charges on Sept. 27, 2018.

Also charged was McKINLEY HOARDE III, 23, of Rockford, who on July 9, 2018, pleaded guilty to the robbery and the gun charge.  Hoarde was sentenced on Oct. 19, 2018, to 66 months’ imprisonment for the robbery, and was ordered to serve a consecutive term of 84 months’ imprisonment for using a firearm during a crime of violence.  After serving his sentence in federal prison, Hoarde will be placed on five years of supervised release.

Both men admitted that after arriving at the U.S. Cellular store they pulled out and pointed their guns at the only employee at the store.  One of them grabbed the employee by the shirt collar and pulled the employee to the back room of the store, where they ordered the employee to the ground.  Hoarde and Woods then took cellular phones from the store and removed electrical equipment from the wall in an attempt to disable the security system, before running out of the store.

The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Celinez Nunez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Jeffrey Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The federal investigation was conducted by ATF and the FBI-led Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, which includes law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, Rockford Police Department, Loves Park Police Department and Freeport Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.