Carbondale Resident Pleads Guilty To Armed Robbery Of Duquoin Shell Gas Station

On September 23 2015, Stanley L. Cohen, 32, of Carbondale, IL, pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging Interference with Commerce by Robbery, in violation of the Hobbs Act, and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Evidence at the plea hearing established that, on May 16, 2014, Cohen committed an armed robbery of the Shell Gas Station in DuQuoin, Perry County. Cohen, who was armed with a firearm, struck a clerk in the head with the gun. The clerk required staples for his wound.

The penalties for the Hobbs Act violation are up to 20 years to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release. The firearm offense carries a penalty of 7 years’ to life imprisonment to be followed by 5 years’ supervised release. Federal law requires that any term of imprisonment imposed on the firearm offense must be served consecutive, that is, in addition to any term imposed on the Hobbs Act charge. Both offenses also carry a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation was conducted by the DuQuoin Police Department, Perry County Sheriff’s Department, and Carbondale Police Department.

The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.