A 28-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison for robbing three casino customers in Chinatown and River North, but thanks to the state’s customary 50% sentence reduction and other credits, he will be released late next year.
Willie Greenwood pled guilty in exchange for the sentence given by Judge Timothy Joyce. Joyce ordered the sentences to run consecutively, despite Greenwood committing one of the crimes while on pretrial release.
In March 2025, a Chicago police tactical team patrolled Chinatown in search of a vehicle used in a series of robberies. All of the victims told police they were targeted after exiting a casino shuttle. Around 11:30 p.m., officers observed a black Hyundai Tucson in the 200 block of West 23rd Street that resembled the suspect car, with Greenwood driving.
Greenwood reportedly permitted officers to search the SUV, where they discovered a BB gun handgun in the glove compartment. Around the same time, a Chinatown security guard informed authorities that a 65-year-old man had been robbed at gunpoint nearby. The victim claimed he was walking home from the casino shuttle when a masked man brandished a gun and demanded money. The thief stole $105, including five $20 dollars, then rifled through the man’s pockets before escaping.
Surveillance video allegedly captured Greenwood getting out of his automobile and sprinting down the 200 block of West 24th Street around the time of the heist before returning to the vehicle shortly later. Greenwood originally informed officers that he was dropping off a friend and did not leave the car. When challenged with the security film, he admitted he was the individual racing down the street, claiming he was looking for his girlfriend’s car.
Officers discovered $400 on Greenwood, including five $20 bills, according to his arrest record. The victim eventually identified Greenwood as the robber.
Greenwood was also charged with the robbery of a 48-year-old casino patron near 23rd and Wentworth Avenue. Prosecutors claimed Greenwood approached the man from behind, tapped him on the shoulder, and demanded money. When the victim attempted to flee, Greenwood hit him in the face and knocked him to the ground. According to authorities, Greenwood then exhibited the butt of a revolver tucked into his waistband, forcing the victim to pay up approximately $200.
Greenwood was initially arrested by a judge on charges of armed robbery. However, the next month, Joyce released him from detention to await trial.
Less than two months later, on June 6, 2025, Greenwood allegedly robbed another casino patron, this time near Bally’s temporary casino on River North. Prosecutors claim Greenwood approached a 40-year-old man inside a parking garage at 50 East Ohio Street, near the casino, and demanded money. When the man did not cooperate quickly enough, Greenwood allegedly struck and kicked him in the head and torso before stealing $2,500 in cash and credit cards from his pockets.
Greenwood is likely to be released in December 2027 after receiving a 50% sentence reduction and credit for time served in custody.
Leave a Reply