Jacksonville Man Sentenced for Role in January Armed Robbery Case

By Benjamin Cox on July 6, 2022 at 8:43am

A Jacksonville teen is headed to state prison for his role in an armed robbery incident earlier this year.

18 year old Sebastian J. Eskew of the 1000 block of North Fayette Street pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon in Morgan County Court to a single count of aggravated discharge of a firearm at a vehicle with an occupant present.

The charge stems from a January 11th incident that occurred in the 500 block of East State Street. According to police reports at the time, Jacksonville Police and Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene just before 6PM on January 11th and discovered a victim who had received non-life threatening injuries from a shooting. The victim was transported to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.

Approximately 10 minutes later, a Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputy who had responded to the State Street scene, witnessed an individual fitting the description of a suspect in the shooting incident getting into the back of a vehicle on East Douglas Avenue. The Deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle in the vicinity of the intersection of East Douglas and North Main Street and took Eskew into custody.

Shortly before 11PM that evening, Jacksonville Police recovered a pistol in the 600 block of East Douglas Avenue which had been reported stolen from out of state, which investigators said at the time was likely connected to the incident. Eskew was later charged with the aforementioned charge as well as armed robbery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without possession of a FOID Card.

Police later arrested 18 year old Joseph S. Graham of the first block of Newland Lane on January 17th for armed robbery and robbery in connection to the case. He is due in Morgan County Court for a status hearing today.

Yesterday, Eskew was sentenced to 4 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a $500 fine, plus ordered to pay fees and court costs. Due to a firearm being used in the crime, Eskew must serve at least 85% of the sentence according to Illinois’ Truth in Sentencing laws. Eskew was given credit for 175 days served in the Morgan County Jail. The armed robbery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges were dropped per the plea.