Not guilty plea in what cops call Antioch drug deal turned robbery

Three men accused in a marijuana deal turned robbery in Antioch pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Assistant State's Attorney Jim Newman said the crime began to unfold April 18 in a parking lot on Route 173 in Antioch. Cory Oxtoby, 19, of Twin Lakes, Wis., called police to say he had been robbed at gunpoint, and provided officers with a description of the car the robbers were in and its license plate number.

Officers spotted the car at Route 173 and Savage Road, stopped it and arrested Laracio Jennings-Jefferson, 21, of Waukegan, and Diante Edwards, 20, of North Chicago.

Newman said Jennings-Jefferson had a loaded .357 magnum pistol in his possession and there was a plastic bag with about a half-pound of marijuana in the car.

Police eventually determined Oxtoby had gone to the parking lot to sell the marijuana to Edwards and Jennings-Jefferson, Newman said, and they had simply taken it rather than pay for it.

Oxtoby is charged with delivery of marijuana, Edwards with possession of marijuana, and Jennings-Jefferson faces armed violence, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of marijuana charges.

Jennings-Jefferson faces a prison sentence of up to 30 years, Oxtoby a maximum of seven years and Edwards up to five years.

Edwards and Oxtoby are free from custody after posting $1,000 each for bond, and Jennings-Jefferson is free on a signature bond.

Circuit Judge John Phillips ordered all three not to be within five miles of the Antioch village limits as a condition of their bonds.

Phillips scheduled a trial of the case for July 20 and ordered all three to appear in court June 25.

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