Man sentenced to 26 years for robbing Wheaton, Hinsdale cellphone stores

A former Schaumburg man was sentenced July 18 to 26 years in prison for robbing at gunpoint a Wheaton Sprint store in 2019 and a Hinsdale Verizon Wireless store in 2022.

Stephon Little, 31, who has since changed his name to Isa Al Ahad, received a 21-year sentence for the Wheaton robbery and a 26-year sentence for the Hinsdale robbery. The sentences will be served concurrently, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

On Nov. 27, 2019, Little appeared in DuPage County Bond Court charged with robbing a Wheaton Sprint store of $40,000 worth of merchandise in late 2019. Two weeks later, Little posted bond and was released from custody.

On June 22, 2022, Little again appeared in DuPage County Bond Court where he was ordered held without bond after allegations that on June 16, 2022, while out on bond and on electronic monitoring, he robbed at gunpoint a Hinsdale Verizon store. He has remained in custody since that time at the DuPage County jail, according to the release.

On Feb. 28, Little pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Because the crimes were committed with a gun, Little faced an automatic 15-year enhancement resulting in a sentencing range of between 21 to 90 years in prison. The state had requested a sentence of 60 years.

On Feb. 13, Little’s co-defendant in the Wheaton case, Denzel Furance, 25, formerly of Calumet City, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of armed robbery with a firearm, according to the release.

About 8:08 p.m. Nov. 8, 2019, Wheaton police responded to an armed robbery at the Sprint store located at 212 Danada Square West. At about 7:45 p.m. that night, Little and his co-defendant arrived at the store in a car driven by Little.

Furance entered the store wearing a ski mask, medical gloves and a hooded sweatshirt armed with a semi-automatic gun. He ordered two employees at gunpoint to a back storage room where a third employee was located along with products and the store safe, according to the release.

He ordered one of the victims at gunpoint to bind the wrists and ankles of the other two employees with duct tape. He then bound the wrists and ankles of the third victim before ordering the employees to open the safe containing electronic devices, authorities said.

Furance placed more than 100 items worth about $120,000 into garbage bags. He covered the mouths and eyes of the three employees with duct tape and left the store, inadvertently dropping some items on his way out. He returned to the store several minutes later to retrieve the items he had previously dropped and then fled the scene in a car driven by Little, according to the release.

Little was arrested on Nov. 24, 2019. After posting bond on June 16, 2022, Little, armed with a pistol, entered the Verizon Wireless store located at 34 E. First St., Hinsdale, wearing a black ski mask, gloves and a hooded sweatshirt, according to the release.

He ordered the clerk at gunpoint to fill a bag with about 60 Apple products including iPhones, iPads and watches. He fled the store with the merchandise, but was arrested the same day in Ford Heights.

Little currently is serving a 15-year sentence for three armed robberies of cellphone stores in Cook County that he committed after posting bond in his DuPage County case, according to the release.

“The fact that Mr. Little committed four additional armed robberies while out on bond is outrageous,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “His complete and utter disregard for the rule of law and terrorizing those who were just trying to make a living has finally caught up with him. Violent gun crimes have no place in society and my office will continue to prosecute anyone who commits this type of brazen criminal conduct.

“We are all thankful none of the employees were physically injured and it is my hope that the survivors of this crime and the community will feel a little safer knowing that the man who terrorized them is now behind bars.”