Man convicted of leading armed robbery crew in 2012 crime spree

A man has been convicted of leading an armed robbery crew in nine heists in 2012 across the city’s North and Northwest sides.

A federal jury on Thursday found 50-year-old Robert Berrios guilty of all 12 robbery, firearm and conspiracy charges filed against him, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.

Berrios was the last of his four-man crew to be convicted, prosecutors said. Julio Rodriguez, 36; David Revis, 37; and 33-year-old Luis Diaz all previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies.

The crew mainly targeted cellphone stores, often brandishing guns, restraining employees with zip ties and stealing thousands of dollars in cash and phones, prosecutors said. They worked together to gather information about the stores before each heist, including the business hours and how many employees worked at any given time.

The robberies occurred:

• July 1, 2012, at Walgreens, 5935 W. Addison;
• July 28, 2012, at Currency Exchange, 2753 N. Ashland;
• Aug. 15, 2012, at Currency Exchange, 2814 N. Milwaukee;
• Sept. 19, 2012, at T-Mobile, 1552 W. Chicago Ave.;
• Sept. 28, 2012, at T-Mobile, 1958 W. Irving Park;
• Oct. 2, 2012, at T-Mobile, 4000 W. Fullerton;
• Oct. 13, 2012, at T-Mobile, 3951 N. Kimball;
• Oct. 16, 2012, at Cricket, 3200 W. Armitage; and
• Oct. 22, 2012, at AT&T, 3955 W. Belmont.

Berrios, a Chicago resident, is expected to appear before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly for a March 28 sentencing hearing, prosecutors said. He faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 22 years.

Diaz was sentenced to three years in prison while Revis was sentenced to 15, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Rodriguez is still awaiting sentencing.