Man Sentenced To 33 Years For Armed Robbery At Tobacco Store In Lombard

NAPERVILLE, IL — A Chicago man who pleaded guilty in connection with an armed robbery at a tobacco store in Lombard in 2022 has been sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Anthony Brown, 34, pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery -- discharge of a firearm at an officer during a hearing in mid-October. The sentence was handed down by Judge Mia McPherson earlier this week.

Brown had initially been charged with attempted murder.

Police had been called to the Pipes and Tobacco store at 54 W. Roosevelt Rd. just after 4 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2022, for a report of an armed robbery. According to police, Brown and Thompson wore masks when they came into the store and showed a handgun as they demanded the clerk give them money from the cash register.

Brown and Thompson took the clerk to the back of the store and ran into the owner. The pair forced the owner and the clerk to the ground and the owners was hit with a gun, a news release said. Brown and Thompson then stole cellphones and wallets from the the store clerk and owner, along with $600 in cash that had been in a filing cabinet.

When officers got to the scene, Brown and Pierre Thompson were seen fleeing the business, a news release said.

Prosecutors say Thompson fired at a police officer, hitting them in the leg as they were exiting their car. The officer fired back, killing Thompson. Brown was taken into custody shortly after.

“Judge McPherson’s thirty-three-year sentence sends a strong message that if you attack the very people who have sworn an oath to protect our communities, you will pay a significant price,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

Berlin added, “Every time a police officer reports for duty, they are putting their life on the line, and I commend the responding officers in this case for their courage and professionalism during this extremely tense incident. We are all extremely grateful that the officer shot by Mr. Thompson survived his injuries."

Brown's sentence comprises 33 years for the aggravated battery charge and 21 years for the armed robbery charge, both of which will run concurrently.