A 20-year-old man who participated in a violent mob robbery on a CTA train has been sentenced to five years in prison, but he might be out in as little as 18 months.
Jovan Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, for which he was on pretrial release at the time of the muggings. Cook County Judge Natosha Toller imposed five-year sentences to be served concurrently.
According to officials, Edwards and seven other juveniles attacked and robbed a group of teens aboard a Red Line train in the Loop last January. Edwards had only been on pretrial release for the stolen vehicle case for 19 days when he reportedly took part in the mob attack, according to records.
According to police, Edwards and his accomplices approached three lads on a train near Roosevelt, one 15 and the other two 16 years old. According to prosecutors, one of the group members intimated that they had a gun and demanded the victims’ property. The group then assaulted the victims.
According to a detention petition, Edwards stole one of the 16-year-olds’ belts before ordering the youngster to lower his pants. After the child complied, Edwards allegedly lashed him with his belt. Prosecutors alleged Edwards hit the victim in the face and torso.
The victims got off the train to seek assistance, but the attackers kept riding until they reached the Fullerton stop. When they arrived, officers who had been tracing signals from one of the victims’ stolen phones were there waiting. Some suspects were caught at the station, while others were apprehended a block away as police tracked down a second stolen phone’s GPS signals.
According to a CPD report, Edwards was caught with a belt in his pocket and a phone belonging to the youngster who was whipped. Prosecutors said Edwards also transferred funds from the boy’s CashApp account to his own.
Seven minors were also charged with robbery, but the outcomes of their cases are unknown since juvenile records are not open to public examination.
According to police and court documents, Edwards was detained on January 9, 2025, after officers discovered him in possession of a stolen SUV at a West Pullman gas station. According to a CPD report, the vehicle was stolen two days earlier from a man who left it unattended to warm up.
Officers discovered the automobile at the gas station with three lads, aged 14 to 16, in the back seat. Officers came to find Edwards inside the station’s convenience shop. According to police, he said he had “nothing to do with that car.” However, the report stated that surveillance video from the business showed Edwards driving the car to the station.
With 365 days already served in jail and Illinois’ normal 50% sentence reduction for good conduct, Edwards is anticipated to be released in around 18 months.
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