Chicago Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Cell Phone Stores Throughout Illinois

ROCKFORD — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a string of armed robberies of cell phone stores throughout Illinois.

In 2019 and 2020, JOHNATHAN BYARS and his co-conspirators carried out six robberies and two attempted robberies of cell phone stores, using firearms to threaten and physically assault store employees while stealing cash, phones, and other merchandise.  The robberies occurred in Lansing, Ill., Bloomington, Ill., Rockford, Ill., Joliet, Ill., Coal City, Ill., and Mokena, Ill., while the attempted robberies occurred in Aurora, Ill., and Woodridge, Ill.

Byars, 26, pleaded guilty last year to robbery and firearm charges.  U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard sentenced Byars on July 16, 2024, to 25 years in federal prison.

“Defendant chose and planned to commit not just one armed robbery, but eight separate robberies with multiple employee victims spanning multiple jurisdictions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “These actions pose a danger to the community, particularly in bringing and using a firearm that was brandished and pointed and used to threaten employees.”

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Illinois State Police, Rockford Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Woodridge Police Department, Mokena Police Department, Lansing Police Department, Coal City Police Department, Bloomington Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Joliet Police Department, and the McLean County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office.

Four other defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison as part of the federal investigation into the robbery spree:

• ANTIONE FULTON, 25, of Chicago, was sentenced to 12 years.
• CALEB MORALES, 24, of Chicago, was sentenced to nine years.
• ISRAEL HALL, 25, of Chicago, was sentenced to seven and a half years.
• VONTE SPAIN, 31, of Chicago, was sentenced to seven years.