Belleville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Robbery
Case is One of Many Brought as a Result of United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that London M. Brown, 21, of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis for two counts of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The robbery counts are federal Hobbs Act Robbery. The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and it is used by United States Attorney Wigginton’s office as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois.

“I continue to be fully committed to using every tool at my disposal to ensure the peace and safety of Southern Illinois’ residents,” noted United States Attorney Wigginton. “As I said when I announced the Metro-East Armed Robbery Initiative, these robberies carry very severe federal penalties. Do this and you will find yourself in federal prison, far from your family and friends.”

Brown was sentenced to 135 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, a $300 special assessment, and a fine of $600. There is no parole in the federal system. The charges relate to two armed robberies that Brown committed at the Circle K gas station at 2709 West Main, Belleville. Brown committed the first robbery on July 22, 2013, armed with a .22 caliber rifle. He committed the second robbery on August 15, 2013, armed with the same gun. During the first incident, Brown robbed the store clerk of $100. During the second, he robbed a different clerk of $358.

Police spotted Brown soon after the second incident; they chased Brown through several Belleville neighborhoods and finally found him hiding in some bushes, where they arrested him. Brown made statements to the police admitting to both armed robberies. Police found $362 in cash on his person, which has been transferred back to Circle K. Brown has been ordered to pay as restitution the balance he stole from Circle K.

The case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Belleville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark.