Des Plaines man gets 18 years for home invasion, stealing sports memorabilia
A Des Plaines man who fled to Mexico after he was charged with home invasion was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his crime.
Steven Chung, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to a 2014 Wheeling home invasion during which prosecutors say two other men held up a homeowner at gunpoint and stole his sports memorabilia, including Michael Jordan and Yasiel Puig trading cards worth between $150,000 and $200,000. Authorities linked Chung to the crime, saying he knew the victim and his card collection.
Prosecutors say Martrell Robinson, 22, and Kristopher Muzzall, 29, both of Chicago, went to the victim's home Aug. 27, 2014, kicked open the front door and beat, choked and tied up the victim, and then threatened him at gunpoint in an effort to get him to reveal the combination to the safe. After several failed attempts, the men got the safe open and took money and memorabilia from it and fled in the victim's car, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors say Robinson took the victim's driver's license and other personal documents belonging to him, his wife and kids and threatened to kill them if the victim told anyone.
Within days, said prosecutors, the stolen items began appearing on eBay. Sports memorabilia store owners in Indiana and Ohio identified Chung as the person who sold them the stolen cards.
A Cook County judge issued a bond forfeiture warrant for Chung in 2014 after he failed to show up for a hearing. Wheeling police eventually tracked him to Guadalajara, Mexico, where sheriff's police say he was teaching classes online. He was returned to the United States last year.
Chung, who was ordered to pay $654 in fines, received credit for 407 days in prison. He must complete at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Robinson pleaded guilty to home invasion in June 2015 and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Charges against Muzzall are still pending, court records show.