Lake Villa Township man pleads guilty to robbery
A Lake Villa Township man was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to using a BB gun to rob a Lake Villa-area liquor store in November 2014.
Christopher M. Sparrowgrove, 30, pleaded guilty Wednesday in front of Judge James Booras to one count of attempted armed robbery, said Cynthia Vargas, spokeswoman for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. Charges of armed robbery for another robbery the same day and theft over $300 were dropped as part of the negotiated plea deal, Vargas said.
Sparrowgrove is required to serve at least 50 percent of his prison sentence before being eligible for parole, Vargas said. He received 465 days credit for time already served in Lake County jail.
Sparrowgrove and his girlfriend, Jasmine R. Stevenson, 23, were accused of robbing J's Liquor Store on Route 83 and the Lake Villa Pantry on Route 59, authorities said.
Deputies were called to J's Liquor Store in the 36000 block of Route 83 at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2014, after a man holding a black handgun entered the store and robbed employees at gunpoint, authorities said. While investigating the liquor store robbery, a second robbery was reported about 45 minutes later involving a man carrying a black handgun at the Lake Villa Pantry in the 37000 block Route 59, authorities said.
The same offender description was provided to police in both robberies, authorities said.
Lake Villa Police assisting Lake County Sheriff's deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle near the Lake Villa Pantry minutes later, authorities said. Sparrowgrove and Stevenson were taken into custody,
Authorities said the firearm - which was actually a BB gun - was recovered by police at the Lake Villa Pantry.
Sparrowgrove and Stevenson confessed to the robberies when questioned, authorities said.
Stevenson pleaded guilty in January, 2015, to one count of robbery. She was sentenced in Lake County court to 30 months probation and 178 days in Lake County jail.