Illinois Judge Sentences Casino Queen Robber to 49 Years in Jail

One of the men responsible for a deadly shooting at а casino in Illinois has been sentenced to almost half a century in prison. Local officials were satisfied with the sentence, saying that it shows severe crime will not be tolerated.

Robber Trio Struck Casino Queen

Back in September 2017, three armed men entered the Casino Queen in Illinois, now known as DraftKings at Casino Queen. Intending to rob the place, the men pulled out rifles and fired warning shots as they entered the venue. Customers and casino staff were ordered to get on the floor, while casino guards were held at gunpoint.

Larry Weber, who worked as casino security at the time, approached the cage and was shot by the criminals. His wounds were serious and required two surgical operations but, luckily, he made a recovery and even returned to work at a later date. Unfortunately, a casino patron was also injured in the attack.

Shortly after that, the robbers ran away with $47,000 in stolen money. The money was later discovered near an abandoned car in East St. Louis.

One of the Robbers Will Serve a Prison Sentence

One of the three perpetrators was eventually identified as Daryl Muhammad, of Marietta, Georgia. He was arrested in 2019 because of his participation in the robbery of the casino property. He was charged with armed robbery and aggravated battery with a firearm, both of which as among the most serious class X felonies in Illinois. He was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Muhammad was convicted last year and faced a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. The man, who is currently 48, has just been sentenced and will serve a total of 49 years in prison – 44 for the robbery and an additional 5 for the possession of an illegal firearm. As per his sentence, he will have to serve at least 85% of this time.

Local Officials and Attorneys Praised the Outcome

The Illinois State Police director Brendan Kelly was satisfied with the outcome of the case against Muhammad, praising his team for helping justice prevail and ensuring that this “twice convicted felon will go back behind bars.”

US attorney Steven Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois called the robbery an incredibly violent crime and an assault on the whole community with military-style rifles.

This was more than a robbery—it was a violent assault on the community with military-style rifles, which is why our office cross-designated one of our prosecutors to support the great work done by the States Attorney’s Office. The community wins when state and federal authorities combine efforts to take out the most violent criminals.

Steven Weinhoeft

St. Clair County State’s attorney James Gomric was likewise pleased with the outcome and thanked the court for imposing a strong sentence.

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