Armed Robbery Crew Struck 12 Businesses In City, Suburbs: FBI

CHICAGO — Two men face federal robbery conspiracy charges in connection with a six-month spree of armed robberies that struck a dozen businesses in Chicago and the suburbs, court records show.

According to the FBI, Falandis Russell and Terrance Williams conspired to commit a series of robberies at pawn shops and other businesses over a six-month period ending last month.

In each case, two to four men entered the stores, brandished weapons and robbed merchandise from the shop, according to an affidavit from FBI agent Dustin Gourley.

"During some of the robberies, the offenders carried a brick and a piece of rock or concrete, which were used to smash jewelry display cases to access the jewelry," Gourley said.

Investigators compared security camera recordings from the robberies with social media posts, as well as booking photographs and body-worn camera recordings from Russell's and Williams' past encounters with Chicago police.

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DNA evidence from several of the robberies was also associated with a previous sample of Russell's DNA submitted to a national database by Illinois State Police, but a confirmation sample was necessary for a conclusion, according to an FBI crime lab report cited by Gourley.

FBI agents carried out a search warrant at Williams' home in the 5500 block of South May Street in Chicago on Feb. 11 while both he and Russell were there, according to Gourley.

Inside the residence, and on the persons of Russell and Williams, agents found items of clothing and pairs of shoes that were worn in the robberies of [eight of the stores,]" the agent alleged. "Further, law enforcement agents found approximately $14,000 U.S. currency rolled up and concealed in Russell’s crotch area."

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Russell's SUV, which agents said matched the getaway car used in three of the robberies, was found parked outside, Gourley alleged. Both men were taken into custody that day.

The duo's first robbery in the alleged conspiracy was a Cash America pawn shop in Calumet City on the afternoon of July 31, 2020.

Two more pawn shops were targeted by the same crew about 15 minutes apart on the evening of Aug. 10, including one in Summit and another on Cicero Avenue on Chicago's Southwest Side, according to the FBI agent.

On the afternoon of Aug. 28, the two men carried an armed robbery at a Burbank title loan business and another Southwest Side pawn shop, the agent alleged. Then, on the afternoon of Sept. 25, the duo struck a jewelry store at a Bolingbrook shopping center.

According to Gourley, the men also carried out robberies at an EZPAWN location in Round Lake Beach and Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood in October, a Cash America Pawn in Uptown in November and in Hammond, Indiana, in December.

The robbery conspiracy allegedly continued into 2021. On the afternoon of Jan. 19, the men robbed a pawn shop in Streamwood, and, on the evening of Jan. 22, robbed one in Arlington Heights, according to Gourley's affidavit.

Following their arrests last week, detection hearings for both men were held via videoconference this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffry Gilbert.

Gilbert found there was good cause to keep Russell in custody ahead of trial, but he rejected prosecutors' request for pretrial detention for Williams, according to court records.

The judge instead ordered Williams released on a $4,500 unsecured bond, and prosecutors Thursday said they did not intend to appeal the order.

If convicted, Williams and Russell face up to 20 years in federal prison.