A district judge has sentenced Vernelle E. Hines to 20 years in prison for an armed robbery at a convenience store in East St. Louis, Illinois. Hines, 31, was arrested in Houston, Texas and pleaded guilty to charges of interference with commerce by robbery and carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Court documents reveal that on October 31, 2023, Hines entered the Mega Supermarket in East St. Louis where he brandished a firearm at the store clerk while demanding two bottles of tequila. When the clerk refused his demands, Hines assaulted him and discharged his firearm into the ceiling before taking two bottles of tequila and several hundred dollars by force. During the incident, Hines wore a mask to hide his identity. The clerk suffered serious and permanent injuries as a result.
"This 20-year sentence of a convicted felon who committed a brutal robbery is evidence of the Illinois State Police’s commitment to making communities safer," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "ISP special agents will follow leads and track down those who commit evil until justice is served."
At the time of this offense, Hines was on federal supervised release following charges related to being a felon in possession of a firearm from the Eastern District of Missouri.
The investigation was led by the Illinois State Police's Public Safety Enforcement Group with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service in Southern Illinois and Homeland Security Investigations' Houston Division in Southern Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted this case.
