Danville man sentenced to 9 years for 2023 armed robbery
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — A Danville man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for an armed robbery that happened in October of 2023.
Court records show KeShawn Stapleton, 23, was facing five felony counts for crimes including armed robbery and mob action and a misdemeanor count of obstructing identification. On Monday, he reached a plea deal with prosecutors that saw him plead guilty to a Class 1 felony count of armed robbery; the other counts were dismissed.
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Evidence presented in court showed that on Oct. 26, 2023, Stapleton was one of five Black males who approached a person walking to a trash dumpster near Lewis Street. The group held the victim at gunpoint and stole his backpack, which had an Xbox inside, his cell phone and the shoes off the victim's feet. The crime was recorded by a security camera.
As detectives were speaking with the victim, Danville Police received a call about robbery suspects running toward Moore Street. When officers responded to the area, they saw several Black males exiting a car on Moore Street. Stapleton was arrested during this police encounter.
The State's Attorney's Office said Moore was identified as one of the perpetrators based on his clothes; what he was wearing when he was arrested matched the clothes of the suspect who was recorded on camera taking the robbery victim's shoes from his feet. The shoes and the victim's cell phone were subsequently found inside the vehicle Stapleton exited on Moore Street.
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'I commend the Danville Police Department for quickly identifying and apprehending these violent offenders. We are grateful to the victim for coming forward,' State's Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said in a news release. 'Armed robbery is a dangerous crime that threatens the safety of our entire community. My office remains committed to working with the police to pursue justice and protect victims of violent crime.'
Stapleton was given credit for 592 days he's already served in custody, and his sentence will be served at 50%. Once out of prison, he will spend one year on parole.
Two other people have been charged in connection to the robbery. Alvin Daniels, charged with the same five felony counts as Stapleton, pleaded guilty in February to one of them and was sentenced to five years in prison. Another person, who is a juvenile, has been charged, but the State's Attorney's Office did not go into further detail.
The investigation into the robbery is still ongoing, and people with relevant information are asked to contact law enforcement.
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