PEORIA, Ill. – The man prosecutors called the “ringleader” of a botched robbery two years ago that left one robber dead learned his fate on Wednesday.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office says 29-year-old Sontarrius Williams was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Williams pleaded guilty in December to Armed Robbery in the January 2024 incident, where two individuals traveled to Peoria to buy a vehicle arranged through Facebook Marketplace.
Williams had directed the pair into an alley where several individuals attempted to rob them, but one the purchasers exchanged gunfire with the robbers, killing one of them.
The purchaser was not charged, as it was determined to be self-defense.
Judge Sean Donahue called the case “absolutely horrendous” and a calculated plan that lured multiple victims across state lines for a vehicle that did not exist.
Williams is one of five people charged in the case. 20-year-old Jalyn Branscumb, 29-year-old Tanarius Kingcade, 20-year-old Keshawn Williams, and 21-year-old Johnathan Williams all previously pleaded guilty to Armed Robbery. Branscumb was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Comments