Authorities: Wheaton robber bound employees at Sprint store

A Calumet City man charged with displaying a handgun, binding three employees with duct tape and then escaping with roughly 58 items valued near $40,000 from a Wheaton Sprint store is being held without bail in DuPage County jail, authorities said Tuesday.

Denzel Furance, 20, of the 1900 block of Wilson Avenue, is charged with one count of armed robbery and three counts of aggravated unlawful restraint.

Wheaton police said they responded at 8:08 p.m. Nov. 8 to the store at 212 Danada Square West for a report of an armed robbery. They gave the following account.

Officers were told a man later identified as Furance entered the store about 7:45 p.m. armed with a semi-automatic weapon and wearing a mask, medical gloves and a hooded sweatshirt.

Once inside, Furance ordered two employees to a back storage room at gunpoint where a third employee was working along with products and the store safe, authorities said. He ordered one of the victims to bind the wrists and ankles of the other two employees with duct tape and then bound the wrists and ankles of the third victim with the tape.

Furance ordered the employees to give him the code to the safe containing electronic devices and he placed the items into garbage bags he brought with him.

He then covered the employees' mouths and eyes with duct tape and fled, apparently dropping some items on his way out.

He returned several minutes later to retrieve the items and fled again.

Police said their investigation led them to Furance, who was arrested Monday in Lansing, Illinois.

“It is alleged that Mr. Furance armed himself, disguised his identity and terrorized three individuals just trying to make an honest living,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. “With the holiday season fast approaching, we will do whatever we can to keep store employees and shoppers safe and anyone suspected of this type of brazen behavior will be met with the full force and effect of the law.”

The most serious charge Furance faces, the Class X felony for armed robbery, is non-probationable and punishable by a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Because it is alleged that Furance was armed with a gun, if found guilty, he faces an automatic 15-year enhancement to his sentence, which will be served at 85%.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 5 in front of DuPage County Judge Jeffrey MacKay for arraignment.