Man Gets 25 Years In Robbery Of Mokena Cell Phone Store, 7 Others

CHICAGO, IL — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a string of armed robberies of cell phone stores throughout Illinois, including one in Mokena, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

In 2019 and 2020, Johnathan Byars and his co-conspirators carried out six robberies and two attempted robberies of cell phone stores, using firearms to threaten and physically assault store employees while stealing cash, phones, and other merchandise.

The robberies occurred in Mokena, Lansing, Bloomington, Rockford, Joliet and Coal City, while the attempted robberies were in Aurora and Woodridge.

Byars, 26, pleaded guilty last year to robbery and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard sentenced Byars on July 16 to 25 years in federal prison.

"Defendant chose and planned to commit not just one armed robbery, but eight separate robberies with multiple employee victims spanning multiple jurisdictions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “These actions pose a danger to the community, particularly in bringing and using a firearm that was brandished and pointed and used to threaten employees.”

Assistance in the investigation was provided by the Illinois State Police, as well as police departments in Rockford, Chicago Police Department, Woodridge, Mokena, Lansing, Coal City, Bloomington, Aurora, Joliet and the McLean County Sheriff’s Office.

Four other defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison as part of the federal investigation into the robbery spree:

• Antione Fulton, 25, of Chicago, was sentenced to 12 years.
• Caleb Morales, 24, of Chicago, was sentenced to nine years.
• Israel Hall, 25, of Chicago, was sentenced to seven and a half years.
• Vonte Spain, 31, of Chicago, was sentenced to seven years.