JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 26-year-old Mt. Vernon man was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, after he pleaded guilty Friday to the armed robbery last December of Times Square Liquors North on Salem Road in Mt. Vernon.

Steven Collier (Source: MVPD)
Steven Collier
(Source: MVPD)

Steven J. Collier was also sentenced to five years in prison to be served concurrently for a guilty plea to a weapons charge.

Collier pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of Class 1 felony armed robbery and Class 3 possession of a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently and with good behavior could be cut by 50 percent.

Six Class X counts of armed robbery with a firearm were dismissed per the plea agreement.

Per Collier’s plea agreement, he must cooperate with the prosecution in the cases of armed robbery at Heights Finance and Jumpin Jimmy’s in Mt. Vernon, as well as provide information in the Cortez Pickett and Tamara Malin murder cases.

Two co-defendants in the Dec. 16 Heights Finance robbery, Denzal Haynes and Darrell Haynes, are awaiting trial.

Thomas Rector faces an obstructing justice charge in connection to the Jan. 16 Jumpin’ Jimmy’s hold up.