Robbery charges reduced against former Marine

Romeoville man pleads guilty to local Arby's holdups

JOLIET -- A felony charge for the attempted robbery of a Naperville fast food restaurant has been amended to a misdemeanor charge for a 26-year-old war veteran.

On the day he was to face a jury, Alan L. Carter of Romeoville pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of attempted theft for his role in a series of holdups at Arby's Roast Beef Restaurant, at 5059 Ace Lane, on the city's far southwest side.

Will County Circuit Court Judge Richard C. Schoenstedt said he would normally require community service for the misdemeanor attempted theft charge Carter pleaded guilty to, but was waiving the requirement because of his service history, which includes a four-year stint in the Marines and one year overseas in Afghanistan as a Naval reservist.

Instead, Schoenstedt ordered Carter to serve 24 months conditional discharge on the misdemeanor count, pay $2,000 court costs and fines, and he was given a 60-day jail sentence with day-for-day credit, for which he was given 30 days credit, meaning the term is considered served.

Carter allegedly entered the fast food restaurant Oct. 7, 2006, and threatened a cashier to give him money, but he was ultimately frightened off and fled the store without any cash, according to prosecutors.

Once police identified Carter as a suspect in three robberies of the restaurant, information he provided to investigators was "instrumental" in the apprehension of two accomplices in the holdups, according to Assistant State's Attorney Mark Fleszewski.

Leonard D. Johnson Jr., 25, of 24335 W. Ainsdale Court in Naperville, pleaded guilty last year to one count of felony aggravated armed robbery for his role in the armed robberies and is serving his five-year prison term in the Illinois Department of Corrections impact incarceration program, or boot camp.

And last month, Nehemiah M. Beckley, 20, of Bolingbrook, was found guilty in a bench trial of the Feb. 15, 2007, armed robbery of the fast food restaurant. He is set for sentencing on the Class 1 felony June 3.