Springfield Teen Javon A. Young Gets 51 Months for Armed Robberies

Springfield, Ill. — An 18-year-old armed with a black air rifle handgun terrorized two local businesses in June 2016, forcing employees to hand over cash during daylight heists at Casey’s General Store and Taco Gringo. Javon A. Young, of Rosaria Road, now faces the consequences: 51 months in federal prison.

Young appeared before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough in Springfield, where he was formally sentenced for the Hobbs Act violations stemming from the two robberies. On June 8, 2016, Young stormed into Casey’s General Store at 1133 West Jefferson St., brandishing the air rifle and demanding money. Three days later, on June 11, he struck again—this time at Taco Gringo located at 975 Clock Tower Drive—repeating the same violent pattern.

In October 2016, Young admitted guilt to both robberies under the federal Hobbs Act, which criminalizes interference with interstate commerce through threats or violence. Though the weapon was not a live firearm, prosecutors argued its realistic appearance was enough to instill fear and meet the threshold for federal charges. The businesses, both engaged in interstate supply chains, qualified under the statute’s reach.

Judge Myerscough ordered Young to serve 51 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also hit with a $200 special assessment and ordered to pay $605 in restitution to Casey’s General Store—the exact amount stolen during the robbery. Taco Gringo did not receive a restitution order, likely due to lack of reported losses beyond immediate cash.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore in the Central District of Illinois, Springfield Division. The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI and the Springfield Police Department, which tracked Young down and took him into custody on September 21, 2016. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service ever since.

The sentencing marks the end of a federal case rooted in street-level violence with broader legal implications. While Young’s weapon was not lethal, the use of force—or the threat of it—against commercial enterprises triggers federal jurisdiction. In Springfield, where gun violence and robberies remain persistent, this case underscores how even non-lethal weapons can carry heavy federal time.