EDWARDSVILLE – One case of robbery at a Family Dollar joins several thefts and retail thefts filed in Madison County in recent weeks. Items stolen range from a Shark vacuum to food and alcohol, a TV, a water heater, and much more.
Corteon T. Brown, 18, of East St. Louis, was charged with aggravated robbery after indicating he had a firearm while robbing a Family Dollar on Feb. 11, 2024. A petition filed to deny his pretrial release describes the incident as follows:
“Defendant was identified as the subject who entered a Family Dollar and accessed the register behind a counter without authorization. When an employee approached, he pressed an object into her side, demanding that she ‘open the register!’
“He then accessed the register, took U.S. currency, and fled. He was identified from video surveillance both in the store and at a nearby gas station, and the statement of a second juvenile suspect who entered the store with him.”
The total amount of currency stolen was not disclosed in the case filed by the Madison Police Department. Brown faces a Class 1 felony and was remanded to jail until his initial court appearance.
Robert L. Cowper, 52, of Alton, was charged with one count of retail theft under $300. Cowper allegedly stole less than $300 worth of food and home goods from the Schnucks at 2712 Godfrey Road in Godfrey on Feb. 7, 2024. He was charged with a Class 4 felony in the case from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and was released after signing a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Adam L. Gideon, 35, of Waverly, Ill., was charged with one count of theft on Jan. 28, 2024. Gideon allegedly stole U.S. currency, car keys, and a Motorola cell phone with a combined value under $500 from an individual. Gideon was charged with a Class 4 felony in the case from the Granite City Police Department, and he has since been released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
James J. Wille, homeless, was charged by the Collinsville Police Department with retail theft under $300. Wille reportedly stole “liquor, energy drinks and food items” with a total value less than $300 from the MotoMart located at 702 Vandalia St. in Collinsville, according to court documents.
Wille’s case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department on Jan. 25, 2024, and he faces a Class 4 felony. Court documents state he was later released after signing a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Shannon P. Patraw, 46, of St. Louis, was charged with one count of retail theft over $300 on Jan .24, 2024. Patraw allegedly stole over $300 worth of food items, alcohol, and a Shark vacuum from the Walmart located at 6660 Godfrey Road in Godfrey, according to court documents. She faces a Class 3 felony in the case from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and was released upon her signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
Robert D. Kelly, 42, of Granite City, was charged with his second or subsequent offense of theft under $500. On Jan. 17, 2024, Kelly allegedly stole a water heater, TV, and floor heater, with a total value of less than $500 from an individual. Court documents state Kelly had previously been convicted of burglary in 2016 in Madison County.
The Granite City Police Department presented Kelly’s latest theft case and he was charged with a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, he has since been released after signing a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
