Man convicted of 2 southwestern Illinois holdups

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A southwestern Illinois man faces a possible life sentence after being convicted of two robberies that included a pawn shop holdup that left the owner paralyzed.

A federal jury in East St. Louis has found 47-year-old Timothy Collier of Centreville guilty of all five felony counts related to the holdups. They include two counts each of interference with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm during a violent crime.

Collier shot East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan owner Larry Osborn during an April 2013 holdup of the business. Osborn survived but was left paralyzed from the chest down. Three months later, Collier robbed Arena Liquor in Belleville.

Collier's attorney argued the government's case was built on testimony from witnesses he called liars.