Life sentence for ‘career’ Elgin criminal
A 47-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after being convicted of an October 2011 armed robbery of a Little Caesars Pizza on Elgin’s near west side.
It was the third Class X felony conviction for Charles Fleming, of the 300 block of Washington Street, Elgin, which triggered a mandatory life term.
“Mr. Fleming, a career criminal, has been permanently removed from civilized society, and our community is much safer as a result,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.
Fleming forced two employees back into the restaurant, 551 N. McLean Blvd., around closing time Oct. 2, 2011. He beat one with a wooden rod and fired a shot into the floor to scare them. But the safe was on a time-lock and Fleming eventually fell asleep. The employees escaped and called police, who arrested Fleming after he ran from the scene.
Fleming also served prison time for armed robberies in 2000 and 2008 in Cook County.