McHenry man pleads guilty to robbing Wheeling liquor store
A 27-year-old McHenry man was sentenced to 14 years in prison Tuesday in exchange for his guilty plea to a late-night robbery of a Wheeling liquor store on Jan. 3.
Tyson Burke pleaded guilty to an amended charge of armed robbery with a bludgeon as more than two dozen, visibly upset family members and friends looked on.
Burke received credit for the more than 9½ months he has spent in custody since his arrest. He must complete at least 50 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Prosecutors say Burke and his 17-year-old co-defendant Kyle Larke, also of McHenry, robbed the Milwaukee Avenue store to get money to buy drugs. Burke brandished an unloaded shotgun and ordered the cashier to open the cash drawer after which Larke took $300, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Andy Dalkin.
The defendants fled in a vehicle and were apprehended by police in McHenry “following a high-speed chase through multiple jurisdictions, Dalkin said.
Burke made a statement to police admitting his part in the robbery and indicating the shotgun was unloaded.
Larke pleaded guilty earlier this month and received a 10-year prison sentence.
Burke did not speak at his sentencing.