Three men accused of severely beating a Loop convenience store clerk with a skateboard when he tried to stop them from stealing sandwiches have reached plea deals.
Dahveed Richards and Aaron Wallas, both currently 24, and 25-year-old Calvin Varga, were each charged with felony attempted robbery, aggravated battery of a merchant, and unlawful restraint following the April 18, 2019 incident. Varga had been released from prison after serving half of a two-year burglary sentence just a week earlier, records show.
Prosecutors said the men put food in their pants and then used skateboards to severely beat the 42-year-old store clerk at 29 East Madison around 1:55 a.m. The employee flagged down a passing police officer who arrested Richards and Wallas at the scene. Varga was taken into custody a short time later.
The victim was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment of head injuries and bite wounds. An officer on the scene said the attack was “a pretty bad one.”
Varga was sentenced last week to 30 months probation and 50 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to the unlawful restraint charge.
The other two men pleaded guilty last year. Wallas received a two-year prison sentence for aggravated battery of a merchant, and Richards pleaded guilty to the same charge in exchange for two years probation.
Prosecutors dropped all other charges against the men in the plea deal. Judge James Obbish oversaw the case.
State records show Varga was released from prison on April 12, 2019, after serving half of two concurrent four-year sentences for burglary and theft.
You can support CWBChicago’s start-to-finish tracking of court cases by becoming a subscriber today.