An Aurora man has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbing a store in Montgomery while wearing a “Santa hat.”
Quintez Smith- Stewart was sentenced to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections earlier this month by Judge Judy Gleason for Aggravated Robbery for charges resulting from events that took place in December of 2022 when members of the Montgomery Police Department were dispatched to a robbery taking place at a retail establishment on Douglas Road in Montgomery.
A cashier had been approached by a man, later identified as Smith- Stewart, wearing a Santa hat pulled over his face who threatened her with harm if she didn’t open the register. Due to the threat, the cashier complied, and Smith- Stewart left with approximately $300.00. When Smith- Stewart fled the store, he got into a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Shortly thereafter the vehicle was located by police with the Santa hat being recovered from inside the stolen vehicle.
The hat was processed for evidence by the Illinois State Police Forensic Services Division. After analysis, it was determined that DNA evidence from the hat identified Smith-Stewart as the culprit. A warrant was later issued for his arrest and Smith-Stewart was taken into custody to await trial.
Weis commented that “Smith-Stewart had a different interpretation of the holiday spirit when he used a Santa hat to steal money from a local business owner. It is fitting that he will spend several Christmas holidays in prison as a result of his criminal actions.”
Smith-Stewart will have to serve one year of mandatory supervised release upon his release from prison.
