Addison robbery gets Chicago man 7 years in prison

A Chicago man who pleaded guilty to the Dec. 20, 2011, armed robbery of an Addison clothing boutique had two more years tacked onto a prison stint he is already serving for a burglary.

Judge George Bakalis sentenced DeAndre Young, 21, of the 5500 block of West Monroe Street in Chicago, to seven years in prison Monday.

Young pleaded guilty last month to one count of aggravated robbery in exchange for prosecutors dropping a second aggravated robbery charge and two counts of aggravated unlawful restraint.

Assistant State's Attorney Steve Knight said Young, along with two other men, first posed as customers in the fashion boutique at 54 W. Lake St. before they brandished guns, duct-taped the three employees and made off with money and clothes.

Court documents state Young also took the wallet and cellphone of at least one of the employees.

"When you think of Hollywood, this is like a robbery from the movies," Knight said. "Thankfully no one was hurt to the point of being sent to the hospital, but this is a really horrible crime. It will likely forever be emblazoned in (the victim's) minds."

Knight also read a victim impact statement from one of the employees who was working during the robbery.

"I was sure I was going to die that night and never see my kids again," Knight read from the statement.

Addison Det. Stefan Bjes testified Monday that Young was tied to the robbery by at least two sets of fingerprints found on the duct tape used to bind the employees.

Young's pastor and godfather, the Rev. Raymond Conley of the Healing Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, testified Young regularly attended services and youth group activities and vowed to get Young "on the right track" upon his release.

"I'm disappointed he got caught up in these things," Conley told the judge. "But he's young enough to turn things around."

The seven-year sentence runs concurrent to the five-year sentence Young already is serving. Instead of being eligible for parole on Jan. 16, 2016, he will now be eligible in 2017.

Authorities said Monday they do not know the identities of the other two men with Young during the robbery.