Second Suspect in Jewelry Store Robbery Pleads Guilty

The second of four men accused of robbing an Orland Park jewelry store at gunpoint, and tying up the owner and an employee with duct tape, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Wednesday.

Charles Harper, 37, of the 2900 block of West 183^rd Street in Lansing, was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to one count of armed robbery in Judge Colleen Hyland’s Bridgeview courtroom. For pleading guilty, an additional 21 charges including aggravated kidnapping and felony possession of a weapon were dropped.

Harper also will spend three years under mandatory supervision after his release from prison, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He also is required to pay $419 in court fees, and will receive 483 days credit for time already served in jail.  

Harper has been in custody since Nov. 2011, when he was arrested and accused of taking part in an armed robbery about a week prior in Orland Park.

Harper posed as a customer along with Antoine C. Kelly, 31, of the 800 block of White Oak Lane in University Park, and went into Jewelry Gems and Designs on Oct. 25, 2011. The two asked to see engagement rings when Harper pulled out a handgun, threatened the owner and employee and both he and Kelly bound the owner’s and employee’s hands with duct tape, according to the Orland Park Police Department.

They then let in Darrin O. Carter, 32, of the 3300 block of West Polk Street in Chicago. The three began gathering jewelry from the store’s displays, and then split up between two cars before driving away, one of which was driven by Lance P. Vaughn, 32, of the 3400 block of Congress Parkway in Chicago, according to police.

All four men were caught and arrested about a week later and then indicted on 23 to 27 counts each on charges including aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. All four men originally pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Jan. 9, Carter pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and was sentenced by Hyland to 16 years in prison.

Both Kelly's and Vaughn's cases are continuing, and both are expected back in Hyland's courtroom on March 21.

Looking for more police stories?

• Orland Park Police Blotter: Woman Files False Burglary Report with 'Missing' Items in Storage
• ARREST WARRANTS: Wanted in Orland Park

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