Devante J. Hodges, Armed Robbery, Illinois 2015

A 22-year-old man from Illinois has been sentenced to 9 ½ years in prison for his role in the armed robbery of a Shop ‘n Save in Cahokia, Illinois.

Devante J. Hodges, 22, was sentenced to 9 ½ years in prison on a three-count indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

The armed robbery counts arise from the federal Hobbs Act, which makes it a crime to obstruct, delay or affect interstate commerce by robbery, and is used by United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton as a way to combat armed robbery in the Southern District of Illinois.

Hodges was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,000 and will be on federal supervised release for 3 years following his prison sentence.

The armed robbery occurred on January 11, 2015, at the Shop ‘n Save, located at 1028 Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia, Illinois. Hodges, along with Lemarcus Jackson, Undray Webb, and Byron Holton, entered the store masked, gloved and each armed with a gun.

Hodges, Jackson, Webb, and Holton pointed the firearms at employees and customers within the store and threatened to kill a customer if they were not given the money. Holton jumped the service counter and demanded the employees place money from the safe into a black book bag while Hodges, Jackson, and Webb stood guard at the door with their firearms.

Hodges was arrested and interviewed by law enforcement. During the interview, Hodges admitted to being one of the four gunmen who robbed the Shop ‘n Save and identified Byron Holton, Undray Webb and Lemarcus Jackson as the other three gunmen and Durand Harper as the getaway driver.

As to Lemarcus Jackson, Undray Webb, Byron Holton, and Durand Harper, their cases are still pending, thus they are innocent of the charges unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by the Cahokia Police Department, the Sauget Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.

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