A man who allegedly escaped from electronic monitoring in November 2019 to pull off three robberies downtown has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Devin Wilder, 32, had been on parole for five weeks when he was charged with selling narcotics in October 2019. A judge released him on his own recognizance.
Just eight days later, police arrested him again after he allegedly sold heroin to an undercover cop. Another judge released him on a new recognizance bond and ordered him to go on electronic monitoring.
Wilder never showed up for court after that, according to records. Although, he did take some time to rob three people on November 13, 2019, prosecutors alleged.
In one case, a woman reported that a man asked her for directions on the 500 block of South Jefferson and then threatened to kill her if she didn’t give him money around 5:15 p.m. The man left after she handed over a credit card, the woman said.
Another alleged victim flagged down police near the Greyhound bus terminal at 630 West Harrison after a man tried to rob them while implying that he was armed.
Then, around 6:50 p.m., a woman reported that a man implied that he had a gun as he robbed her at an ATM near Wells and Van Buren in the Loop.
About ten minutes later, police found Wilder standing outside a convenience store across from City Hall on the 100 block of North LaSalle. He allegedly matched the description of the robbery suspect.
The alleged victims identified Wilder as the man who either robbed or tried to rob them that evening, police said.
Now, Wilder has pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, and robbery in connection with the hold-ups. He also pleaded guilty to one of the narcotics cases, according to court records.
Judge Stanley Sacks sentenced Wilder to three concurrent 8-year terms for the robberies and a one-year term for the drug case.
Wilder previously did time for narcotics in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, and 2008. His first prison term was a six-year sentence for robbery in 2005.
He is scheduled to be paroled on November 10, 2026.
You can support CWBChicago’s start-to-finish tracking of court cases by becoming a subscriber today!