Champaign 19-year-old gets 4 years for role in online sale turned robbery

Sam Lisec, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read

Apr. 26—URBANA — A Champaign 19-year-old was sentenced this week to four years in prison for his role in an online sale turned armed robbery earlier this year.

Champaign County Judge Matt Lee handed down the sentence to Konner K. Baughman after he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted armed robbery with a firearm.

In exchange for the negotiated plea, the state dropped one count of resisting arrest and one count of armed robbery with a firearm, a Class X felony that carried a potential sentence of six to 30 years in prison upon conviction.

Laying out the facts of the case at Braughman's detention hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Dan Taylor said a man showed up at an apartment complex in Champaign about 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11 with $300 in cash to pay for an Xbox he had arranged to buy on Facebook Marketplace. The victim told police that when he entered the building, he was confronted by two men wearing ski masks who each pointed a handgun at him and stole his phone, wallet and iPod.

The offenders fled, but the man followed them to a nearby parking lot and saw them get into a silver Saturn sedan. He continued to follow the car until he heard two gunshots, Taylor said.

The Facebook account used for the transaction was deleted, but a Champaign detective noticed a new account posted an ad offering an Xbox for $300 the next day. Police responded to that ad and went to buy the console on Jan. 12, Taylor said.

On arrival, police located and arrested Baughman, who had a firearm in his waistband, Taylor said. Officers also located and arrested Darrion W. Sargent, 18, of Urbana, as well as a silver Saturn sedan.

Sargent was sentenced to four years of probation last week after he admitted to driving Baughman to and from the scene of the robbery. He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony.

Baughman also faced four to 15 years in prison for attempted armed robbery. He had no prior convictions and was given credit for 96 days already served in jail.