Dupage Policy Journal

A former Schaumburg resident has been sentenced to 26 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for robbing two cell phone stores at gunpoint. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced the sentencing of Stephon Little, 31, who has since changed his name to Isa Al Ahad. The sentencing took place before Judge Joseph Bugos, who handed down a 21-year sentence for a Wheaton robbery and a 26-year sentence for a Hinsdale robbery, to be served concurrently.

In November 2019, Little was charged with robbing a Wheaton Sprint store of $40,000 worth of merchandise. He posted bond and was released from custody in December 2019. While out on bond and under electronic monitoring, Little allegedly robbed a Hinsdale Verizon Wireless store at gunpoint in June 2022. Following this incident, he was held without bond and remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail.

On February 28, 2024, Little pleaded guilty to two counts of Armed Robbery with a Firearm, which carries an automatic fifteen-year enhancement due to the use of a firearm. The State had requested a sixty-year sentence.

Little's co-defendant in the Wheaton case, Denzel Furance, was sentenced to twenty-three years in February 2024 after pleading guilty to one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm.

The Wheaton robbery occurred on November 8, 2019. According to police reports, Little drove Furance to the Sprint store where Furance entered armed with a semi-automatic gun supplied by Little. Furance ordered employees into a back storage room and bound their wrists and ankles with duct tape before stealing approximately $120,000 worth of merchandise.

After posting bond for this incident, Little committed another armed robbery on June 16, 2022. He entered the Verizon Wireless store in Hinsdale wearing a black ski mask and gloves and stole around sixty Apple products at gunpoint before being apprehended later that day.

Little is also serving a fifteen-year sentence for three additional armed robberies of cell phone stores in Cook County committed after posting bond in his DuPage County case.

State’s Attorney Berlin commented on the case: “The fact that Mr. Little committed four additional armed robberies while out on bond is outrageous. His complete and utter disregard for the rule of law and terrorizing those who were just trying to make a living has finally caught up with him."

Berlin expressed relief that no employees were physically injured during these incidents and thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Matthew Dambach and Robert Willis for their efforts in prosecuting both Little and Furance.