Jury Convicts Shiloh Man of Robbing Gas Station Twice

Topics:  Midwest Petroleum

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Illinois
23 September 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that late Wednesday morning, a federal jury in Benton found Michael L. Jackson, III, 21, of Shiloh, Illinois, guilty of two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and one count of Use of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

Evidence at trial showed that on December 21, 2011, Jackson entered Midwest Petroleum located at 1551 Hartman Lane wielding a knife and demanded money from the clerk. He was wearing a ski mask which covered his entire face, and the clerk was unable to make an identification. He fled southbound on foot and discarded the clothing and ski mask he wore during the robbery in a field adjacent to Midwest Petroleum. On March 13, 2014, Jackson again entered Midwest Petroleum, brandished a firearm, and demanded money and Newport cigarettes from the clerk. He again was wearing a ski mask which covered his entire face, and the clerk was unable to make an identification. He fled southbound on foot and discarded the clothing and ski mask he wore during the robbery in the same field adjacent to Midwest Petroleum. Investigators from the Shiloh Police Department found the clothing after each robbery and collected it as evidence.

In listening to the surveillance videos, Shiloh investigators believed the robber was Jackson based upon the voice. The clothes worn and discarded in the field from both robberies were submitted to the Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory for DNA testing, and Jackson’s DNA was found on all of the clothing tested.

Sentencing has been scheduled for January 24, 2017, in front of the Honorable Stacy Yandle. The investigation was conducted by the Shiloh Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Emily Wasserman.