Steven Baxter, Wing Stop Threat, Illinois 2024

ROCKFORD, IL – A volatile outburst at a Rockford Wing Stop and a subsequent traffic stop loaded with weapons have landed STEVEN BAXTER, 40, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, with a hefty 126-month federal prison sentence. Baxter’s history of firearm offenses and disregard for the law culminated in Monday’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston.

According to court records, Baxter entered the Rockford Wing Stop in 2022 armed with a handgun. A simple order dispute quickly escalated, with Baxter becoming agitated and reportedly threatening multiple employees. Witnesses stated he displayed the firearm, holding it at his hip, before storming out. This wasn’t an isolated incident. A later traffic stop on Interstate 90 in Kane County revealed Baxter was also carrying a loaded pistol in the vehicle.

As a convicted felon, Baxter was already legally barred from possessing any firearms. But the situation was even more damning. He was actively serving a term of supervised release following a prior federal conviction for – unsurprisingly – an unrelated firearms offense. The terms of that release explicitly prohibited him from committing any further crimes, a condition he flagrantly violated. The government painted a clear picture of a repeat offender with a disturbing pattern.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora A. Anderson minced no words in her sentencing memorandum. “It is highly concerning to the government that defendant has shown a pattern of not only illegal possession of firearms as a felon, but a pattern of brandishing and threatening people with firearms in moments of anger or rage,” she wrote. “Defendant’s history shows a disrespect for the law, for the safety of the community, and a disregard for court orders.”

Baxter pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of illegal firearm possession and violating his supervised release. Judge Johnston sentenced him to 104 months for the firearms charge and an additional 22 months for the supervision violation, totaling 126 months behind bars. The case was spearheaded by United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, with crucial investigative support from Christopher C. Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).

The Rockford Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff’s Department also played key roles in bringing Baxter to justice. This case serves as a stark reminder that illegally possessing firearms, especially with a violent history, will be met with serious consequences in federal court. Baxter’s outburst at a fast-food restaurant has now cost him more than a decade of his life.

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