PEORIA, Ill. (WCIA) A man who tried to escape from Livingston County jail has an additional two years added to his 10-year sentence for robbery according to the Central District United States Attorney office.
John Beck admitted to robbing the following during a 14 day crime spree: Dollar General in Buffalo, Bank of Pontiac, Odell Bank, Fast Stop Store in Odell, Village Pantry in Paxton, Subway in Danville, Morton Community bank in Elmwood.
Throughout his robbery splurge, Beck stole cars from two different people from Mechanicsburg and Paris. In process he stole license plates from two other cars.
During his time in custody he tried to escape from Livingston Jail in September of 2021. Beck pled guilty to all charges in January 2022 with no plea agreement.
When he was arrested, he was on supervised release for a bank robbery from 2007, in which he was sentenced to 12 and half years. He was also on parole for a past armed robbery conviction in Champaign County. In 2019, he was released from federal prison. At the hearing U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade found Beck to be a “career offender.”
U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris commended law enforcement agencies’ coordination and cooperation during Beck’s crime spree. “The dedication and cooperation of the law enforcement agencies – including the State’s Attorneys’ Offices for Livingston, Peoria, Edgar, Vermilion, Sangamon, and Ford Counties – led to the arrest of John Beck before he could do any more harm to the people and businesses of central Illinois,” Harris said.
“Thanks to the exemplary work of our law enforcement partners, FBI Springfield was able to piece together Beck’s 14-day crime spree allowing for significant federal charges that help ensure he is no longer a menace to Illinois communities,” said Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “This sentence holds Beck accountable for his actions and demonstrates the effectiveness of working collaboratively with our partners to combat violent crime.”
The investigation was conducted by the sheriff’s departments in DeWitt, Edgar, Livingston, Peoria, and Sangamon, Illinois, counties; the Danville, Elmwood, Paxton, and Springfield, Illinois, Police Departments; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office; and the U.S. Marshals Service. Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss represented the government in the prosecution.
