Dupage Policy Journal

A Chicago man, Odell Wright, has been sentenced to 22 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for robbing a business in Glendale Heights. The announcement was made by DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. Wright, aged 49, was found guilty of aggravated robbery after a trial that concluded on December 5, 2024. The sentence was delivered by Judge Daniel Guerin.

The incident occurred on April 26, 2023, when the Glendale Heights Police Department responded to a robbery call at Stella’s Place on Bloomingdale Road. Investigations revealed that Wright had entered the establishment around noon and played a slot machine before approaching an employee with a threat involving a firearm. He ordered the employee to hand over money from the cash register and then fled.

Wright was identified as a suspect and taken into custody without incident on October 13, 2023. At the time of his arrest, he was already on federal probation.

State’s Attorney Berlin commented on the case: “Violence, such as we saw in this case, has no place in civilized society,” adding that Judge Guerin's sentence is a strong message against such crimes in DuPage County. He expressed gratitude towards the Glendale Heights Police Department for their work in apprehending Wright and Assistant State’s Attorneys Alyssa Rabulinski and Jaclyn McAndrew for securing charges.

Berlin also noted the traumatic impact of the event on the employee involved but expressed relief that no injuries were reported.