A Chicago man who led several armed robberies including an attempted robbery at Lake Forest Jewelers recently was sentenced to more than 31 years in federal prison, authorities said.
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Palo Brown, 34, of Chicago, to more than 31 years in prison, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
As part of a plea agreement, the release said, Brown pleaded guilty in 2014 to attempted carjacking, as well as using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy to obstruct, delay and affect commerce by robbery.
Authorities said that on Oct. 1, 2012, Brown and Felice DeSilvia walked into Lake Forest Jewelers, 685 Forest Avenue, with hidden handguns. Shortly after they entered the store, an employee walked outside to make a call on his cellphone, the release said. Thinking the employee was calling the police, Brown and DeSilvia left, according to authorities.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick said Lake Forest Jewelers got lucky that day.
“These guys were a pretty severe crew,” Fitzpatrick said.
That attempt came amid a string of robberies that started with Brown, DeSilvia and Paris Starwalt robbing a Thorntons gas station in Forest Park on Sept. 24, 2012, authorities said. During the robbery, Starwalt pistol-whipped a customer, according to the release. The three got away with $500 and two cartons of cigarettes, officials said.
The next day, the three robbed Arab Jewelry in the east Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, getting about $200,000 worth of diamonds and jewelry, the release said.
Authorities said that on Oct. 8, 2012, the trio also robbed Bryn Mawr Jewelry in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. Starwalt held two employees at gunpoint while Brown and DeSilvia gathered $120,000 in diamonds and jewelry, according to the release. After they left the store, Brown and Starwalt tried to carjack a woman in a nearby garage at gunpoint, the release said. The woman screamed and bit Starwalt on the arm and hands, according to authorities, and Brown and Starwalt ran off and were soon caught by Chicago Police.
Starwalt, of Mattoon, also pleaded guilty in 2014 to attempted carjacking, as well as using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy to obstruct, delay and affect commerce by robbery, according to the release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 1, the release said.
DeSilvia, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in 2014 to conspiracy to obstruct, delay and affect commerce by robbery as well as using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the release. Her sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, authorities said.
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