Dupage Policy Journal

An Aurora man, Aaron Thompson, has been sentenced to 22 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for his role in an armed robbery at a Verizon store in Lisle. The sentencing follows a blind plea of guilty to one count of armed robbery with a firearm, which is classified as a Class X Felony. This charge carries a potential sentence ranging from 21 to 45 years.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced the sentence and noted that the state had sought the maximum penalty of 45 years. The incident occurred on February 1, 2020, when Aaron Thompson and his cousin Ezekiel Thompson allegedly entered the Verizon store on Ogden Avenue armed and masked. They are accused of threatening the store employee at gunpoint and stealing electronics after binding him with zip ties.

The two men reportedly fled in the employee's car but were apprehended following an investigation by multiple police departments, including those from Lisle, Woodridge, Downers Grove, and Darien. "It is alleged that without care or concern for the rule of law, Aaron Thompson and his cousin armed themselves with a gun," Berlin stated. He commended Assistant State’s Attorneys Bethany Jackson and Adam Frahm for their work on the case.

Ezekiel Thompson's case remains pending with a court appearance scheduled for January 17, 2025. The charges against him are still allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.