Two men accused of robbing four people at gunpoint in River North have been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Marques Williams and Terrion Jackson, both 20, entered their pleas before Judge John Lyke on Wednesday.
The pair, along with two unidentified 17-year-old accomplices, were accused of committing the River North robberies on March 19, 2023.
Around 10 p.m. that night, Chicago police and other law enforcement agencies were tracking a stolen Jeep Compass that Park Ridge police believed had been used in a robbery outside a Mariano’s grocery store in their town earlier that evening. Despite being under surveillance, prosecutors said the crew managed to get out and rob four more people in River North.
When the Jeep reached the 500 block of West Chicago Avenue, its driver made a wide turn and stopped near four men preparing to enter a parked car. Four people jumped out of the SUV, pointed guns at each of the victims, and took their valuables before fleeing.
Police soon spotted the Jeep in the 700 block of North Michigan Avenue and pulled it over. Four people ran from the vehicle, but all were arrested nearby. Prosecutors said Williams tossed a gun before his arrest, while Jackson threw away several cellphones. Officers also found a second firearm inside the Jeep, which had been reported stolen earlier that day from the 400 block of North State Street.
At the same time, the robbery victims flagged down a Chicago police officer to report what happened and gave him the license plate number from the robbers’ getaway car. It matched the plate on the stolen Jeep, according to authorities.
Although neither Jackson nor Williams had adult criminal convictions at the time of their arrests, prosecutors said both had extensive juvenile histories. Jackson had three pending juvenile cases for carjacking and illegal gun possession, while Williams had an outstanding juvenile warrant from McHenry County and a pending Chicago carjacking case. Prosecutors also said Williams had been adjudicated delinquent for gun possession in 2019 and 2020 and for criminal trespass to a vehicle in 2019.
Williams received 1,571 days of credits earned while in jail, meaning he is unlikely to serve additional prison time, given the state’s 50 percent sentence reduction for good behavior. Jackson earned 1,062 days of credit, leaving him with roughly one year to serve before becoming eligible for release.
Both men are scheduled to appear in court next week in connection with robbery charges they face in connection with the Park Ridge holdup.
