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player ready...A little more than a month after his co-defendant pleaded guilty to robbing a St. Charles tobacco shop in January, Rayshawn Vonperbandt has admitted his role in the case, according to Kane County court records.
Vonperbandt, of St. Charles, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated robbery. He was given credit for 241 days spent in Kane County Jail since his arrest. Judge Clint Hull also recommended Vonperbandt undergo substance abuse treatment while in prison, the sentencing order states.
Vonperbandt and 21-year-old Jacob Fahey, also of St. Charles, were charged earlier this year with stealing two water pipes valued at more than $1,000 from Tobacco & Gifts on East Main Street in St. Charles. Authorities said Fahey pointed a BB gun at the head of the shop owner, while Vonperbandt held a steak knife to the owner’s back in an attempt to get him to open up a display case.
Video surveillance, as well as witness information, provided clues to investigators, who also used social media to track down the pair, according to prosecutors and court documents. Fahey was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August on convictions for armed robbery and aggravated battery to a police officer. Police tracked Fahey to his residence on South 12th Street about two weeks after the robbery and found a BB gun and clothing seen on video from the time of the robbery, court records state.
Vonperbandt was originally charged with armed robbery, but his agreement with prosecutors dropped that charge for the aggravated robbery count. Police were drawn to Vonperbrandt during the investigation after he contacted someone on Facebook about purchasing a water pipe for $1,600, court records show.
Dan Campana is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News