Man who confessed to being ‘guilty as hell’ gets 20 years for robbery

A northwest suburban man who confessed to being “guilty as hell” of robbing an Elgin business has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Eugene R. Tasior, Jr., 57, pleaded guilty to armed robbery Wednesday in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence, according to the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

About 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2016, Tasior entered a business in the first block of Clock Tower Plaza in Elgin wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, slammed a 12-inch ridged butcher knife on the counter and said, “Give me your money,” prosecutors said.

An employee gave him all the money in the cash drawer, but he demanded more money, prosecutors said. A second employee gave him money from a second cash drawer, and Tasior ran off.

One of the employees recognized Tasior’s voice, realized he was a regular customer and identified him to police, prosecutors said.

Police found Tasior outside his Elgin home a short time later, prosecutors said. He had the knife used in the robbery in his pocket, and more than $1,300 in cash.

Tasior immediately confessed, saying “I’m guilty as hell,” prosecutors said. He was on parole at the time after serving an 18-year sentence for a 2006 robbery in Cook County, and also served prison time for a 1997 drug offense and a 1985 burglary.

Tasior will receive credit for 407 days served in the Kane County jail, where he has been held since his arrest on a $250,000 bond.