A Chicago man whose attempt to rob a CTA passenger in the Loop was interrupted by a concealed carry firearm licensee has been sentenced to probation.
Also receiving probation for a bungled hold-up attempt are two men who were overpowered by three victims they tried to rob in the Irving Park neighborhood.
Concealed carry hero
Prosecutors declined to file charges against a concealed carry holder who brought a gun onto the CTA in December 2019 — but an alleged robbery offender that he held at gunpoint was not as fortunate.
A 29-year-old man told police that another passenger lunged at him as he sat on a Blue Line train around 6:50 a.m. on December 4, 2019. The offender began punching the victim in the head and face, then took property from the victim before exiting the train car at LaSalle, police said.
That’s when a good Samaritan intercepted the alleged robber and forced him to lie on the platform at gunpoint until police arrived, according to witnesses and details provided by police.
Prosecutors charged 29-year-old Michael Oliver with robbery in the case. Now, Oliver has pleaded guilty in exchange for a sentence of two years probation in the case, which was overseen by Judge Ursula Walowski.
Probation for a robbery charge is not a bad deal. Maybe he got lucky after all.
2 vs. 3 robbery ends as expected
Two men who tried to rob three people in the Irving Park neighborhood, only to have the victims overpower them and hold them for police, have pleaded guilty to robbery charges. They received probation.
Three men told police Louis Torres and Miguel Calderon, both 18 at the time, confronted them on a sidewalk in the 3200 block of West Cullom around 1:50 a.m. on July 4th, 2019.
According to a police report, Calderon punched two of the victims in their faces while ordering them to empty their pockets. Three phones and a wallet had been handed over when the victims turned the tables by overpowering Torres and Calderon, the report said. Police arrived moments later.
Prosecutors charged both men with multiple counts of robbery and attempted robbery. The duo reached plea deals in which they pleaded guilty to one count of robbery each in exchange for two years probation.
Judge Earl Hoffenberg handled their cases.
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